Playing For Keeps

Playing for Keeps introduces us to a retired soccer player (the one where you can’t use your hands, not the game with the tailgating and the Superbowl) from the UK as he struggles to reconnect with his estranged son. That’s the starting point of Playing for Keeps. Now, allow me to put the stamp of death upon this film: “Romantic Comedy”, unfortunately the twist is what’s missing: romance and comedy.

As I was saying: George (Gerard Butler) is a retired Soccer player, relocated to Virginia to be close to his son. His son’s mother is soon-to-be married, he’s living in a guesthouse, and has run out of money. He’s struggling to find work and striving to become an anchor / on-air personality for any sports program that will take him. During one of his visitation days, he takes his son to his soccer game. Seeing the lack of attention and focus the children are receiving, George takes a stroll out onto the field and shows the kids how to shoot a goal. He instantly has chemistry with the children, as well as the gaggle of beautiful moms, and is asked to coach the team.

“My dad sleeps in the maid’s room, and my mom cries at night.”

This doesn’t seem like his son’s first soccer game, he’s an ex-soccer star, it never occurred to anyone that maybe he’d be a good fit as a coach? With an overall runtime of 105 minutes, the entire romantic comedy element of the film took place in the last twenty minutes. While the previous eighty minutes of the film were focused on the protagonist’s womanizing, immaturity, and overall development, by the conclusion it felt like this had happened in real-time. Were an extra twenty minutes of fluff shaved from the first and second acts, I would have a completely different opinion of the experience. But it wasn’t. The film went on, and on, almost cyclically.

The performances were well played, if unoriginal and therefore uninteresting. There were a few undercurrents of plot meant to drive the concept that George is immature. By the third tryst from the stable of hot soccer moms or wealthy socialites, the point was driven home. We get it, he’s immature, please move on.

“I think he has a learning disability.”

What I will give is that there was not an underlying sense of predictability. All the elements, situations, and characters that I waited expectantly to stunt George’s goals never did.

“How do you meet so many hot women?”

“I have an accent.”

Also, and completely an afterthought: while I understand the love story involved, there are entire casts of other characters that have dysfunctional marriages or fall victim to the indiscretions of the protagonist. What about their romance? What happens to them!? Were the movie more interesting, I probably wouldn’t have had the time to think about all the people that got hurt for our main character to learn what he really wants, and grow up.

The experience is not necessarily a bad one it’s simply unfulfilling. There is real star power here. Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid to name a few, all bonafide Hollywood celebrities, and directed by Gabriele Muccino who gave us brilliant movies like Seven Pounds and the Pursuit of Happiness. The ingredients are all present to make a solid date movie, but the spark never takes fire.

Playing for Keeps has completed a lackluster theatrical run, leaving a deficit of over $10 million to be made up with home media revenue. That opportunity will come on March 5th 2013 when the film is released on DVD, Blu-ray home video, and Amazon Instant Video services (subject to change). If you need a date movie, this isn’t your worst choice, but bring a book.