Saturday, August 30, 2014

SAVE YOUR LEGS: AUSSIE UNDERDOG FILM DOES IT RIGHT

One of the great benefits of DVD is the chance to see movies that otherwise wouldn't play in the local mega-plex, especially when it comes to foreign films. Keep in mind foreign doesn't mean it has to be made in a different language, just a country other than the U.S., at least if you live here. That being said there are even English spoken films that might require subtitles when accents are as thick as on display in the film SAVE YOUR LEGS. Not a bad thing or negative, just a fact of life. I'm sure films made here might requite the same over there.

The movie is based on the real life struggles of a minor league cricket team from Australia whose leader Teddy Brown (Stephen Curry) dreams of taking the team to the highest level. A die hard cricket fan, Teddy remains deep in the past when he and the rest of the team were younger and had a chance to make it to the big time. He dreams of being as recognized a player as the sport's biggest name while working in a pro-shop in Melbourne.

A chance to make it big happens when the owner of the pro-shop is looking for a team to front in competition in his home country of India. Teddy convinces him that his team is an A class team and gets him to sponsor them in the competition. The problem is that the team has to live up to his description. Unfortunately they're not all on the same page. The team captain wants to spend more time getting high than playing at his best. Another is caught up in being the face of the team, so involved with being the most famous player that he stops their ringer from playing and helping them win.

With each event they play the team is slammed with defeat much to the chagrin of the sponsor. As each game is racked up as a loss we can see Teddy's dream slowly fading. His belief in the team, his dream, is not the same that the team itself has. As the film progresses we get to see him slowly come to the realization that at age 35 his chances are non-existent to fulfill his dream.

Along the way we get plenty of other storylines weaved in and out of the game itself. Each member of the team has his own successes and failures to contend with. Teddy himself has to deal with his attraction to the sponsor's daughter, someone who has grown up before his eyes into a beautiful young woman. Add to that the glimpse into the country and culture of India and you have a comedy that exposes you to something more than a simple film. It becomes a feast for the eyes and ears as well as a story of an underdog team that gets the chance to rescue their self esteem before the end.

Released by Twilight Time I'll once again say that the movie is being released on a limited scale with only 3,000 copies available. If this is the kind of movie you love, the story of a team that rises to the occasion, then by all means buy it before it's not there any longer. For me it was a pleasant surprise, a film that I felt I wouldn't enjoy at all but then became one I'm glad to have watched and intend to keep on the shelf. I have no doubt that I'll be taking it down from time to time to enjoy all over again.

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