Movie Review: Playing for Keeps
The film, Playing for Keeps is a slightly above average romantic comedy that is more about the beautiful Scottish actor Gerard Butler than anything else. Who will enjoy this film? My best guess would be; women and soccer fans.
The story starts out with scenes from George’s (Gerard Butler) heyday as a professional soccer player. The newly divorced heart-throb is forced into retirement and is struggling financially having very few options as to what to do with his life as an ex-soccer player. He is also trying to rebuild his relationship with his adorable son Lewis (Noah Lomax). Having formerly been an absent father, George faces the trials of never disappointing his son again. It is also very apparent that George is still madly in love with his ex-wife Stacie (Jessica Biel). Unfortunately it is very obvious just exactly what will occur in this movie within a very short amount of time, but nonetheless it is still worth viewing because of Butler’s many charms.
As you may have guessed, George’s son Lewis is on a youth soccer team and within no time at all George takes over the team’s coaching position. All of the soccer-mom’s could not be happier with the new scenery. Samantha (Marlena Lerner) is the first to show her affections, as a highly emotional new divorcée, she more or less throws herself at George.
George’s character is one that doesn’t seem to know how to say the word “no,” and gets himself into pickle after pickle with the ladies. The next to show her affections is Denise (Catherine Zeta-Jones) a rich, former news anchor. Denise makes it her mission to “help” George out by making a way for him to land an anchor position with ESPN. Then there is Carl and Patti, (Dennis Quaid and Uma Thurman) a wealthy couple that is completely dysfunctional. Carl tries to bribe George into having his son get a certain position on the team and to have his daughter sing the national anthem before the big game. Carl is jealous and is no stranger to the very adulterous acts he accuses his wife of. Pattie is also a menacing culprit that forces George into precarious positions.
Stacie, George’s ex, is in the process of planning a wedding to another man. It is obvious that she still loves George, but feels that he has let her and Lewis down so many times before she has decided to move on. George does receive his dream job with ESPN. Unfortunately he must move to Connecticut, away from everything and everyone he has come to love. He knows this will be detrimental to his newly built relationship with his son, but George sees no other way.
Gerard Butler and Noah Lomax in “Playing for Keeps.” Photo by Dale Robinette – © 2012 – FilmDistrict.
So what happens next? As I said earlier, this story is not one with many deep layers. You need not be a brain surgeon to figure out how this will end. Analyzing the phrase “romantic comedy” one would expect to be touched by the love between the lead actors, or at the minimum have a chuckle or two to give merit to the comedic value. For me, this did happen, but it was slight. Playing for Keeps is once again about the ever so attractive Gerard Butler from beginning to end, not only his looks, but his accent as well as his charm.
Betsy Cizek
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