magnuslhad

I'm 60. I'm British. I played football (soccer if you will) at Sunday league level for too many years, into my 40s. Recently I had a conversation with a friend, a former teammate, about our playing days. We both miss the game. We both still think we might find an over-60s team and go back to it.

I've seen Eephus described as a baseball movie, but it's more than that. It might be a man's movie. It might be a weekend-warrior-past-his-prime-too-sentimental-by-half movie. Whatever it is, it has a magic to make you smile, and cry, and remember, and forgive. It took me back to a day when I quit the field for what I thought was one last time, and felt both old, and thankful for times shared and friendships made. I hate exercise, will never jog, can't stand swimming - but I'll chase a ball all day. And I loved being on the field, because all other stresses and concerns disappeared. You only had one thing to do that day - compete.

I'm the audience for this film. The reviews suggest it resonates with others, too. The shots of the stars got to me. We have this small moment of pleasure and indulgence in a vast, hostile universe that does not know us. This is an unusual film, quiet but startling, that will be shared and enjoyed by those in the know. A triumph.

.. and bad things happen.

The film takes its genre credentials seriously, especially in the depiction of the initial misfortune that befalls the two pals interloping in a close-knit community. Jack Lowden is superb and does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting. But the story never really surprises or delights, and ends up being formulaic. The character of Magnus is ultimately more interesting, and the film would have benefitted from lifting the veil on his demons a little more. Ultimately, it is his decisions that drive the action, with Lowden's Vaughn more often simply reacting.

The Scottish village locals are slightly one-note and cliche, though Tony Curran gives a nuanced, restrained performance. After the halfway point it becomes a film in search of an ending, and the one it comes up with, if you take a second to think about it, makes absolutely no sense.

Even judged by the limitations of the genre it shackles itself to, this film feels under-realized.

Waves takes stylistic risks to convey the story of a family in crisis. Sterling K. Brown is outstanding as a strict but proud father whose well-intentioned discipline may well be a cause in the family's decline. Structurally, the film does something unusual, switching protagonists half-way through, a refreshing touch that I enjoyed, but I suspect will alienate other audience members. The performances are superb and this story-world feels authentic and lived in. The mood, camerawork and music captures the fragility and wonder of teenage years perfectly. The film feels rooted in South Florida, while evoking universal experiences. Quite simply a triumph.