I wish I could write that this is about the stuff that dreams are made of but I just can’t. After watching this movie that I had been really looking forward to, I now understand how a few movies which could have been brilliant in almost every aspect, lose the race just because they get into a stereotypical mode and they just can’t look beyond their own superiority.
Million Dollar Arm, directed by Craig Gillespie, is a true story that comes from the house of Disney with Jon Hamm in the lead role playing JB Bernstein, the owner of Seven Figures Management which is a baseball players management company. Jon is accompanied by Aasif Mandvi who plays Aash, Jon’s business partner. The movie stars Lake Bell as Brenda, Pitobash as Amit, Suraj Sharma of Life of Pi fame as Rinku, Madhur Mittal of Slumdog Millionaire fame as Dinesh and Darshan Jariwala as Vivek.
Alright, I am going to share two things here. One, what the movie is about and two, what the movie should have been about. So the movie is about JB Bernstein and his company struggling to make ends meet with rejection from almost every corner. Aash, his business partner, happens to introduce him to cricket while they are watching TV one evening and JB simply ridiculous the game. However, moments later JB somehow watches a certain technique in the game of cricket and he is elated with the fact that he thinks he has hit the jackpot.
JB gets on a journey to scout for two best would-be baseball players from India. That’s where Craig went completely stereotypical and I felt disgusted a lot of times by how India is still shown on the big screen world-wide. I mean come on America, we all know the amount of filth you have in NYC!
Anyway, JB comes to India and Vivek is his man friday who is supposed to help him in the scouting process. Vivek does justice to his role and one will find him charming. JB also meets Amit in a hotel lobby and Amit is eager to work for JB for free. In the meanwhile JB also asks Aash to find and send a baseball guy who could help in the scouting process and Aash sends Ray. Ray is arrogant (or so it seems like) and it was deeply irritating and pathetic to hear Ray ask JB if there are hotels in India. Seriously story writers!! Throughout this three month journey, Brenda skypes JB once in a while and checks on him as to how is it going with him. Oh by the way, Brenda is a tenant in JB’s house and she is studying to be a doctor. By the end of this journey, JB is happy and content with his final two selections, Rinku and Dinesh. JB also asks Amit to come with them to the US to be the translator since Rinku and Dinesh do not know English courtesy their humble upbringing and non-exposure to the language and the opportunities.
The rest of the movie is about JB. And that’s my biggest issue with the film along with the poor showcase of India. Remember when I wrote initially that what the movie should have been about. I think that Million Dollar Arm should have been about Rinku and Dinesh rather than just JB. The movie shows JB’s frustrations, inhibitions, selfishness, arrogance and everything else. And in this entire JB display, the other real characters take a backseat in a way that they shouldn’t have.
Pitobash as Amit is incredible, he definitely is the talent others should look up to. He is sincere, genuine and powerful with his emotions and display of his character. Madhur and Suraj are perfect for the roles, they are charming, innocent, fun, scared, and everything else that Rinku and Dinesh must have been in the real life. One of my favourite characters in the film is Brenda. She is that glue which helps JB to connect with the kids who are away from their land, their families and are so apprehensive about everything that is going around them. She knows how much to say with words and how much to just convey without them.
I would certainly give it to Craig and the writers and the characters to give a few exceptionally brilliant scenes where you as an audience empathise with the characters and you tend to believe in their story a bit more. I literally felt a rush of million emotions when just before Rinku’s and Dinesh’s final tryout, JB asks Amit to give them a little ‘coach’ talk. And boy, did Amit give them a talk! It was simple yet powerful, it was honest and genuine and you know that Pitobash is an actor who is definitely going to reach for the stars.
Cinematography is impeccable. Each emotion comes to the audience in the purest form possible. Everyone who has seen Mad Men knows that Jon Hamm is a fine actor, but that belief gets reiterated manifold after watching Million Dollar Arm.
The movie is based on Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel who were selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008 after winning the competition named Million Dollar Arm. Both were the first Indians to be signed up for a professional contract in North America. Dinesh returned to India in 2010 and now teaches baseball here.
My Recommendation – you should certainly watch Million Dollar Arm for brilliant performances, exceptional camera work, superb direction and above all for the story of Rinku and Dinesh. Though I really wish that the director should have focused on them rather than JB’s character. Anyhow, you will enjoy the movie barring the moonshine dialogues about India and the life here. I give 3 on 5 teaspoon of masala to this million dollar true story.
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