Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game

Maybe it's when you have the least expectations that you can be the most enthused. I had not heard anything about this movie, did not know that the game had ever been banned anywhere, and have never played much pinball myself (never been any good at it, which helps, of course).

And I was absolutely delighted by this movie. It's an underdog story, obviously "based on real events", probably a little spiced up for the movie, and that's all right. The story is great, the characters are likable, the actors do a great job, the editing is neat, the direction efficient, the photography perfect. It's a very pleasant ride through and through, really uplifting. I loved it.

Others have written on this, and I find I cannot expound any further upon the topic-- tight editing, great cinematography, likeable cast, wonderful writing.

So, why did I give it a 7 instead of a 10? Well, a 10 is for an outstanding movie, that one that grabs you by the ...well, you know.. and makes you realize your life has been nothing but a daily bore; this movie doesn't accomplish that. Instead, it allows you to wallow in another's joy, to experience happiness not in the degradation of another but in the pureness of accomplishment, whether it be in a game or in a relationship. I mentioned $$ in the title-- yes, another few bucks for a decent fake mustache for Roger and a set of glasses WITH glass.. these, and only these, two items continually distracted me. Yes, I can be petty but hey- it's only my opinon, right?

Maybe like a 7.5? The acting is good, the story is solid and interesting (you even learn things, historical elements, etc.), the movie making is good, and there's awesome 70's styling.

What really makes the movie a lot better than what it would have been should it have had standard story telling, was self-derision, making fun of itself, correcting itself, and inserting historical snippets. The movie includes a lot of small clichés, though makes fun of those clichés at the same time. There are some other clichés that were left unattended, but I guess that's okay.

On top of it being a generally good movie, I don't really see what there is to say. Should you watch it? I recommend it. Are there flaws in the movie? None other than small clichés, etc. Does it feel like one of the many "success story" films? Yes, it does. Maybe it's the slight lack of originality in the "success story bioflick" genre that lowers the score for me, but then again, what they did with the material, they did really well, and the story is certainly worth a movie.

I hesitated a long time between a 7 and an 8. In any case, you get the just that it's a good movie, though not that it will necessarily blow your mind or change your life.

You will only ever focus on one thing, the fake moustache, the highly ridiculous moustache, that moustache.

It will distract you from the main character, Roger Sharpe (Mike Faist) despite sitting uncomfortably on his face.

Mr. Sharpe, (Dennis Boutsikaris) Roger's older self and fourth wall breaking narrator, will never mention it but we know that he knows, how could he not?! He's right next to the thing, a lot.

Moustache has one skill, pinball. Learnt in a student bar and rediscovered in New York, the moustache wants to play. But New York doesn't like pinball, it's obviously a vice so must be hidden in the backrooms of 'adult' stores.

What follows is a really interesting, tongue in cheek journey in the quest to liberate the flippers and their corresponding steel balls.

Well worth a watch, but that moustache?! It can't be unseen, sadly.

Olympia, WA

We wore the clothes. We stretched to places we'd never before seen or known. Polyester. Damn. I want that sweater.

We played the game. We hoped to win. We watched the steel ball bounce, and dance and ping and sway.

The Greyhound bus depot had a cafe and one pinball machine. We learned how to tilt, to cheat, and to love the game. Sorry for the cheating. Thank you for the winning.

We ate. Sometimes it was food, and other times it was sustenance. Mostly it was survival. Pinball gave us hope.

Corn dogs.

The Future was ours, until it wasn't.

Amen. God. Whatever. Pinball is alive and it lives within all of us. If you have a machine to sell, we'll buy it. May Be.