Starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford
Directed by Brian Helgeland
Despite several sentimental Hallmark moments, director Brian Helgeland manages to craft an earnest and honest portrait of one of sports most revered heroes in the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. Chadwick Boseman, though not a household name yet, brings a certain amount of panache to the lead role as Major League Baseballs first African America player who joined the ranks of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, an era when racial segregation still boiled to the surface of US culture.The other man behind this historic saga, Dodgers GM Branch Rickey, is played with equal effectiveness by Harrison Ford, complete with fat suit and gruff exterior.
In fact, most of the strength of 42 relies heavily on the talents of its supporting cast from Robinsons wife, played with genuine affection by Nicole Beharie, to Alan Tudyks blistering role as Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman, who spews the N word so many times in one scene it would leave Quentin Tarantino red-faced.
However, the rock solid acting cant always save the films clunky moments.42 is essentially a paint-by-numbers biography, with a lot of emphasis on specific dates and places and not so much on backstory.A sentimental score that swells at awkward moments and some unintentional comedy also provide a few bumps on the narrative road.In the end, Helgeland decides to play it relatively safe with the source material, giving the audience a mere snapshot of who Robinson really was, but 42 is as good-natured and uplifting as they come.
