The Boys in the Boat

A repetitive film that fails to meet expectations.

Here is the unfortunate thing about this film by George Clooney. Most of the movie leaves you watching students from the University of Washington do little more than row a boat in practice and competition. There are no surprises as they always come from behind and win. That includes the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

There is little drama that captures your attention out of the water. While Joel Edgerton is compelling as Coach Al Ulbrickson, he does little more than frown as he sees his job on the line.

Joe Rantz stands out as one of the rowers who sits on the edge of poverty as he dates Joyce (Hadley Robinson), a student he knew in grade school. She flirts and kisses in a relatively amateur love affair.

The competition in Berlin saved this movie. While you know they are going to win the gold medal, it was rewarding to watch Hitler and his S.S. cronies stalk off in disgust.

Quite frankly, the ending captured my disappointment. As I left the theater, I laughed as I quietly sang the old song,

“Row Row Row your boat, gently down the stream,
merrily merrily, merrily merrily,
good movies but a dream”.

Forgive me, but I added some changes to the last line for obvious reasons.