National Champions

I have no idea how they paid so many great actors to be in this. The plot is slow moving. The pivotal moment of information doesn't really make sense. It's a lazy writer trying to make money off a very controversial topic.

This is what you'd call a dialogue movie, and not half bad. The main gripes I have are wasting Jeffrey Donovan's talents, the horrid acting of the main character "LeMarcus", and the insanely bad overemotional acting on the black woman who was some sort of fixer. Each time someone questioned her she'd freak out, just waaaay overboard. JK Simmons as usual excellent performance wasn't enough to make up for this lady.

Writer Adam Mervis put out a pretty good plot on this one. The flick was interesting with little dead time. But the ending was abrupt. It felt like they just ran out of money, or couldn't think of a way to end the movie. What a let-down! At least they have room for a sequel. But kudos to Adam Mervis for an original plot and near-real storyline. Director Rick Roman Waugh did a good job getting interesting and believable performances from his actors, but the continuity needed some polishing. Some scene cuts and actor emotional transitions were a little confusing. Kudos for the producers choosing to shoot in New Orleans, where they could use the money influx.

It would be a good storyline if it is based on true story. Then it is interesting to see what is going on in those private meetings. However, if it is not based on the true story..... the script is kind of okay.

As a 116 mins long sports drama, I was expecting to see at least one game. But instead it was scenes in and out of hotel rooms with some soap-opera melodramatics and twists. I will say though, this did feel very real, and I'm curious if this story was conceived as a slap in the face to college football et al. The performances by all were excellent and captivating, especially J. K. Simmons, and the only reason I sat through the entire film. The ending was underwhelming, and I never did get to see any game, but the film was still unique and well put together. This may not be for everyone, especially if you don't follow college football or sports in general. It's a generous 7/10 from me.