The Tiger Woods phenomenon may have democratised the game which (in the Northern Hemisphere at least) has long been the preserve of the privileged, but this film does nothing to suggest it has made golf a viable subject for feature films.
In fact, with the exception ofthe terrific match between James Bond and Goldfinger, there's never been a good golf movie (although the Kevin Costner/Rene Russo vehicle Tin Cup had its moments). And the new film by Robert Redford certainly misses fairway, green and hole and spends most of its length out of bounds looking for the ball.
Of course, it's not really a movie about the game but (sigh!) about Life with a capital L. Littered with lines such as "A man's grip on his club is like his grip on life," it's about the spiritual redemption of Rannulph Junuh (Damon), a gifted golfer who has been traumatised by the First World War, turned into a drunk and "lost his swing."
Enter Bagger Vance (Smith), an other-worldly caddy who offers to carry Junuh's bag (and lift his spirits ) in an exhibition match in which he carries his tortured past and the hopes of the state of Georgia on his shoulders. An unshaven angel with a comically overdone southern accent, Vance specialises in leaden pronouncements such as "Every man's got an authentic swing" which are, we sense, intended to be about more than golf.
It takes little imagination to predict that Junuh will play badly, then really badly, then rather well - the swelling music under an endless hole-in-one shot is the most excessive of many trite devices. But Redford and screenwriter Jeffrey Leven manage to rob the film of both narrative subtlety, personal chemistry and, along the way, to make the obvious utterly undramatic.
Visually and aurally lush and as slow as a wet Sunday, this is already the leading contender for the most boring film of the year. Better watch Tiger at the Masters - and check out that scene in Goldfinger again.
Cast: Matt Damon, Will Smith, Charlize Theron
Director: Robert Redford
Running time: 127 mins
Rating: PG Screening: Hoyts, Village, Berkeley cinemas.
