George Clooney directs this drama about a group of working class men from the University of Washington crew that represented the United States in the men’s rowing eight at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin.
This is a remarkable story told in a pretty straightforward way, directed in a no-nonsense style by Clooney in a style that reminded me of Clint Eastwood. In a similarly non-flashy way, the ever reliable Joel Edgerton is very effective as the team coach, with Peter Guinness relishing his role as one of the team assistants.
Mark L Smith’s script does a good job of conveying the magnitude of the achievement whilst also making the event understandable for non-devotees. It is, admittedly, told with broad brush strokes as evidenced by the caricatured depiction of Hitler, but this is solid, old-fashioned, rousing entertainment
Rating: 8 out of 10