Micro review: Snoozy Clooney flick more 'My Left Out Feelings' than 'My Left Foot'
Kid overcomes deadbeat dad to...write about overcoming deadbeat dad
HARK!
I hear...phone surfing...
That's what you'll be tempted to do, if you go to Amazon Prime and click up "The Tender Bar," sleepily directed by George Clooney. The story is less-than-riveting: raised by a helicopter mom in a crowded home, a kid overcomes feelings of abandonment by his deadbeat dad to...write a memoir about his not-super-interesting life.
It's more "My Left Out Feelings" than "My Left Foot."
The best thing about the Amazon-backed movie: It's free. Since it's been in the theaters for only a couple weeks, you would think they would get you for at least $6.99 on this one. Nope. The Primesters were probably like, "Ach, let's just give this crap away for free..."
It's not a disaster, just not much to it. Ben Affleck, an actor with limited range, does all right as a bartender who becomes a father figure to the kid. Affleck's character is meant to be charming and funny; he mostly just smokes cigarettes and spouts half-baked advice.
Affleck's delivery is low and growly. One pictures Clooney's direction: "Cut! OK, Ben, on the next take, try to sound more like me..."
Tye Sheridan, who was terrific in "The Night Clerk," doesn't do much, here. People break up with him, have heart attacks, get cancer, beat up their girlfriends...He frowns. Next scene, he smiles. 'at's the spirit, kid!