TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (Rated PG-13)

Whether in the position of actor or director, Clint Eastwood, an octogenarian, remains one of the very best in the business of making films.

Longevity has served this iconic legend extremely well. In recent years, with some notable exceptions, Eastwood has been working behind the camera.

In his last film, “Gran Torino,” Eastwood’s starring role was directed by none other than himself. But for “Trouble With the Curve,” the directing reins were turned over to longtime associate Robert Lorenz.

Playing the role of a crusty, aging baseball scout, Eastwood probably required little direction. He could walk through the part half-asleep and ad lib most of the dialogue on the fly.

Indeed, Eastwood is in fine form as baseball veteran Gus Lobel, a scout who uses his old-school instincts and intuition to assess the potential of young players laboring for obscure minor league teams.

Gus’ contract with the Atlanta Braves is due to expire, and though his boss and friend Pete Klein (John Goodman) wants him to stay on, an obnoxious front office hotshot (Matthew Lillard) is looking for any excuse to dump the old-timer.

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “Old age and treachery beat youth and skill every time.” I think this fits the storyline fairly well, except that Gus is more adept at cunning and guile than outright deceit.

But first, Gus has some major hurdles to clear. His eyesight is beginning to fail, causing him no end of distress and anxiety. Still, he needs to hit the road to assess a minor leaguer hailed as the next big thing.

Meanwhile, Pete asks the old man’s daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to help out on what could be Gus’ last road trip. Mickey grew up around baseball but has been estranged from her dad for years.

What’s more, Mickey is bucking for partnership at her law firm and is embroiled in a big case that just might be the biggest break of her career. With the legal brass getting anxious, this is no time for a frivolous journey.

Yet, Mickey’s initial resistance crumbles and she joins her old man on a road trip so unglamorous that they stay in budget motels and frequent honky-tonk bars. But at least the bickering pair starts the slow process of reconciliation.

As you can well imagine, baseball is merely the backdrop to a story of misunderstanding and life’s regrets, along with the hurt feelings and foreseeable remorse.

In the backwater regions of the South, Gus and Mickey focus their scouting attention upon a local phenomenon named Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill), a beefy home-run hitter who recalls the towering prowess of Babe Ruth.

But, the hitting machine Bo is not a swell guy. He demeans the local peanut vendor and brags endlessly about how his career trajectory will be a magnet for willing female groupies.

On a more pleasant note, Gus and Mickey come across the handsome, friendly Johnny (Justin Timberlake), a former hot pitcher recruited by Gus who had to retire from the game after blowing out his arm. Now he’s a scout for the Boston Red Sox.

The story also needs a romantic subplot, so Mickey and Johnny start to fall for each other, even if the presence of the doting Gus may somehow put a damper on the looming passion.

While coping with physical limitations, Gus still has the knack for finding and assessing talent. He stakes his reputation on making judgments based on personal scrutiny, rather than using computer models.

“Trouble With the Curve” is an appropriate title in many ways. For one, it accurately measures the unseen problems with prospect Bo Gentry, though the cranky old scout taps into his lingering doubts with ease.

For another, Mickey and Gus can find redemption only if they get past the curveballs tossed in their direction. We develop a rooting interest in seeing things neatly patched up between them.

Hardly a novel observation, “Trouble With the Curve” is the antithesis of “Moneyball,” which celebrated the use of new technology. That “Moneyball” remains an excellent film takes nothing away from this salute to old-school virtues.

Though Eastwood did not direct “Trouble With the Curve,” he owns this picture. Here’s hoping that he can still play the role of old crank in a few more movies.

To be sure, the storyline in this film is rather expected and conventional, but “Trouble With the Curve” scores at least a solid triple right into the deepest corner of the outfield.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

If you can’t keep up with TV shows during their original run, at least we have DVD releases that bring everyone up to date.

“The Mentalist,” still running on CBS, is the kind of show that requires your attention, particularly to details.

Just as the fifth season is getting under way, “The Mentalist: The Complete Fourth Season” follows the exploits of a California Bureau of Investigation consultant.

Simon Baker’s Patrick Jane is also a former faux-psychic obsessed with finding Red John, the serial killer who murdered his family.

In the fourth season, Patrick learns the true price of revenge and deals with the fallout from his actions of the previous season.

Yet, the unconventional Patrick continues to use his razor-sharp skills of observation and psychological manipulation to bypass the system and solve the toughest crimes in his own inimitable way.

“The Mentalist: The Complete Fourth Season” includes a special feature about how the show seeks to create the “appearance of reality” when it comes to police procedures.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

Kay Ryan was our nation’s Poet Laureate at The Library of Congress for the 2008-2010 terms. Her poetry is celebrated for its compression; she can get a great deal into a few words.

Here’s an example of a poem swift and accurate as a dart.

Pinhole

We say
pinhole.
A pin hole
of light. We
can’t imagine
how bright
more of it
could be,
the way
this much
defeats night.
It almost
isn’t fair,
whoever
poked this,
with such
a small act
to vanquish
blackness.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2011 by Kay Ryan, whose most recent book of poems is Odd Blocks, Selected and New Poems, Carcanet Press, 2011. Poem reprinted from Poetry, October 2011, by permission of Kay Ryan and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

ARBITRAGE (Rated R)

On or around the Labor Day weekend, the quality of films, particularly those in wide release, tend to be sub-par. The public realizes this, which explains why box office receipts are always lower.
   
The trend of inferior product continues even beyond the holiday. We should note that the umpteenth version of “Resident Evil” has just been unleashed. Enough said.
   
The gems are to be found in films of limited release, which means good luck finding them at the local multiplex outside of the major urban centers.
   
One such film is the feature directorial debut of young writer Nicholas Jarecki. “Arbitrage,” a taut and alluring suspense thriller, is so entertaining that it seems written and directed by a seasoned pro.
   
“Arbitrage” is a film worth finding, because more than being a truly suspenseful thriller, it is cast with brilliant actors in roles large and small.
   
The biggest presence of all is that of Richard Gere, whose distinguished looks, accented with silver hair and nicely tailored suits, makes him appear to be the perfect Wall Street billionaire hedge-fund magnate.
   
Gere’s Robert Miller, approaching his 60th birthday, is fully in command of his trading empire, living the high life in a New York mansion with his socialite wife Ellen (Susan Sarandon).
   
Miller is the very portrait of success in American business and family life. His brilliant daughter and heir-apparent Brooke (Brit Marling) is the chief financial officer of Miller Capital.
   
But behind the gilded walls of his mansion and financial empire, Miller is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading company to a major investment bank.
   
His personal life is also in turmoil because his delicate balancing act includes an affair with French art gallery owner Julie Cote (Laetitia Casta), a mistress far too demanding of his time and attention.
   
The financial problems, though, are the most immediate and troubling. Miller has borrowed $412 million from a fellow tycoon, who is growing impatient, to cover up some major losses in a Russian mining deal gone bad.
   
Worse yet, Miller has concealed his money problems from his daughter Brooke, who could end up on the hook for the fraud that is being perpetrated under her nose.
   
At home, his wife Ellen is growing restive over Miller’s infidelity and duplicity. She’s not too happy about pesky NYPD detective Michael Bryer (Tim Roth) poking into their affairs.
   
Unfortunately, Miller was involved in an auto accident that he is going to great lengths to cover up, using the help of young Harlem kid Jimmy Grant (Nate Parker), the son of his former chauffeur.

It would be best not to say much about the accident, other than to note that it leads to great complications for Miller’s business and personal life, particularly as the NYPD detective’s relentless pursuit really puts the tycoon in a huge bind.

There’s plenty of moral ambiguity going around on all sides. Indeed, Miller is a scoundrel, but Richard Gere plays him with so much charisma that you have to wonder if the director has misplaced his sympathy.

Then, you have Roth’s detective Bryer breaking the rules in order to pin a crime on Miller, while the tycoon pays for the services of several high-powered attorneys to game the system.

In the main, “Arbitrage” is the gripping story of a well-heeled man caught in an ever-tightening trap of his own making. Richard Gere embodies this character with passion, charisma and drive.

Gere’s performance is worthy of Oscar consideration, and that’s good reason enough to enjoy this entertaining suspense thriller.   

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

If new movies prove unsatisfying, it appears that plenty of TV series are getting released on DVD at this time of year.

One of last season’s favorite new TV comedies, “Suburgatory: The Complete First Season” provides all 22 half-hour episodes plus the special featurette “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell: Life in Suburgatory.”

The satirical comedy series centers on Tessa (Jane Levy), a witty New York City teenager who is forced to relocate to the suburbs with her dad, George (Jeremy Sisto).

Accustomed to the urban jungle, Tessa goes into culture shock, because suburbia represents to her a unique version of hell.

The updated version of “Hawaii Five-O,” now starting its third season on the CBS fall schedule, has scored a big success as a hit crime drama.

“Hawaii Five-O: The Second Season” is being released on DVD and Blu-ray, including all 23 episodes and several features, including “Aloha Action! Take 2” which highlights the show’s dramatic stunts.

Alex O’Loughlin stars as Detective Steve McGarrett – a far different head of the Five-O Unit than Jack Lord. But then, Scott Caan, a New Jersey transplant, is also a very distinctive Danny “Danno” Williams.

“Hawaii Five-O” is worth watching because the crime stories are riveting and the chemistry of the officers in the special unit is truly enjoyable.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

David St. John is a California poet whose meticulous care with every word has always impressed me. This poem is a fine example of how clarity can let us see all the way to the heart.

From a Bridge

I saw my mother standing there below me

On the narrow bank just looking out over the river

Looking at something just beyond the taut middle rope

Of the braided swirling currents

Then she looked up quite suddenly to the far bank

Where the densely twined limbs of the cypress

Twisted violently toward the storm-struck sky

There are some things we know before we know

Also some things we wish we would not ever know

Even if as children we already knew & so

Standing above her on that bridge that shuddered

Each time the river ripped at its wooden pilings

I knew I could never even fate willing ever

Get to her in time

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2011 by David St. John, whose new collection, The Auroras, is forthcoming from Harper Collins. Poem reprinted from Poetry, July/August 2011, by permission of David St. John and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Unlike other TV networks, CBS launches its fall season of new shows the old-fashioned way, sticking to the format of what is called “premiere week,” which this year begins on Monday, September 24th.

Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, was asked about the tried-and-true formula during the biannual gathering of the nation’s TV critics this summer.

“It works for us,” Tassler said, adding that premiere week succeeds because “we like the excitement and the energy and the marketing and promotional machine that leads up to the fall.” But then, unlike NBC, CBS didn’t have the luxury of running ads and promos during the Olympics.

An advantage for CBS, which may well help the network to keep its number one status, is that a new show like “Elementary” has people talking about the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes once again.

Tassler acknowledged that TV programming is a “very cluttered, noisy universe.” One way to cut through the thicket is to also have a new show like “Vegas,” which is getting a lot of attention because “Dennis Quaid is coming to series television,” a selling point that the CBS executive was quick to note.

CBS, more so than other networks, has the opportunity to take more risks in scheduling new shows. As Tassler says she never gets tired of talking about, CBS scored “another broadcast television trifecta this year. We’re number one in viewers. We’re number one in upfront revenue. We’re number one in Emmy nominations.”

OK, the Eye network has had bragging rights for several years now, and this year, with strong second and third year shows like “2 Broke Girls” and “Person of Interest” and “Hawaii Five-O” and “Blue Bloods,” CBS can afford taking chances even if one or two of the four new series come up short.

For the best new series, it may well be a toss-up between “Vegas” and “Elementary,” dramas with interesting storylines and starring versatile actors who have proved to be accomplished in several mediums.

Dennis Quaid played Bill Clinton in the TV movie “The Special Relationship,” but now he’ll be the main character in a series.

A drama inspired by the true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, “Vegas” tells the story of the gambling mecca emerging from the tumbleweeds in the 1960s.

Quaid’s Ralph Lamb is a fourth-generation rancher tasked with bringing order to Sin City. Lamb wants to be left in peace to run his ranch, but Las Vegas is swelling with outsiders and corruption which are intruding on his simple life.

Recalling Lamb’s command as a military police officer during World War II, the Mayor appeals to his sense of duty to look into a murder of a casino worker – and so begins Lamb’s clash with Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), a ruthless Chicago gangster who plans to make Vegas his own.

Assisting Lamb in keeping law and order are his two deputies: his diplomatic, even-keeled brother, Jack, and his charming impulsive son, Dixon.

Carrie Anne-Moss (“The Matrix”) plays the key role of ambitious Assistant District Attorney Katherine O’Connell, who grew up on the ranch next to the Lambs and also lends a hand in preserving justice in Las Vegas.

“Vegas” pits two powerful men at the opposite ends of the law, engaging them in a fierce battle for control of the budding gambling oasis.

Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis (who gained fame as a tough guy in “The Shield”) are worthy adversaries, and “Vegas” should be a fun show to watch.

“Elementary” stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes, but this is not the fictional sleuth made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The new Sherlock is a modern-day crime solver helping the NYPD to crack its most impossible cases.

Sherlock Holmes is joined by Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Again, this is not your standard issue Dr. Watson either, who is now female and Asian.

Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with a sober companion, the aforementioned Dr. Watson.

A successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people. However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients.

Sherlock claims that none of Watson’s expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and he’s devised his own post-rehab regimen – resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City.

Watson has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. But Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator.

Though Sherlock may be a real oddball, the New York police know that from his previous experience working with Scotland Yard, Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases.

With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes running free in New York solving crime, it’s “Elementary” that Watson has a big job to keep the super sleuth grounded.

“Made in Jersey” is billed as a drama, but I am not so sure. After all, a Jersey girl named Martina Garretti (Janet Montgomery), a young working-class woman who lacks an Ivy League education ends up employed at a prestigious New York law firm.

How does Martina, a more refined version of the nasal-voiced Fran Drescher, fit in with her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues? Moreover, Martina is supported by her big and boisterous Italian family, including her sexy older sister Bonnie and her encouraging mother Darlene.

The whole set-up sounds like a comedy routine. There’s bound to be a bunch of laughs from a woman who uses her street smarts to survive the cutthroat landscape far removed from her blue-collar background.

But the script calls for Martina to stay true to her roots as a bold, passionate lawyer on the rise in a new intimidating environment. I am taking a wild guess that “Made in Jersey” may bite the dust faster than The Situation can flex his muscles on the Jersey Shore.

CBS has one new comedy in its lineup. The saving grace for “Partners,” which is not exactly groundbreaking material, is that it airs on Monday nights sandwiched in between “How I Met Your Mother” and “2 Broke Girls.”

The network executives may be counting on couch potatoes too lazy to reach for the remote to change channels in mid-stream.

“Partners” is based on the lives of the show’s creators, about two life-long best friends and business partners whose relationship is tested when one of them is engaged to be married. Why this is so is baffling to me.

David Krumholtz’s Joe is an architect who wants to marry Ali (Sophia Bush), a jewelry designer. Joe’s buddy and business partner is Louis (Michael Urie), who is not only gay but emotional and prone to exaggeration.

The two guys are very different, and besides Louis has a new companion in Wyatt (Brandon Routh), a vegan nurse who Louis insists is just a promotion away from becoming a doctor.

Again, what does it matter to Louis if Joe wants to get married? The premise of “Partners” does not seem to have staying power, and this show could last shorter than the average Hollywood celebrity marriage.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clear Lake Performing Arts Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Sue Condit, will begin a new season of rehearsals on Sunday, Sept. 23.

The orchestra is scheduled to perform several pieces by Mozart in the CLPA Lake County Symphony Concert in November.

They will finish up the fall semester by playing some memorable holiday pieces at the annual CLPA Lake County Symphony Concert in December.

The orchestra also will play at the Symphony concert in May and present a full spring concert in June. All concerts are held at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport.

The orchestra is currently seeking new string players on violin, viola, cello and bass. All levels are needed and beginners are welcome. In addition, there is an opening for an intermediate level pianist.

The Youth Orchestra meets at the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church on Sundays from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in joining the group please contact coordinator Tamsen Serena at 707-928 -9621.

Since the discontinuation of the Schools String Program, Clear Lake Performing Arts offers string instruction in this countywide Youth Orchestra.

The organization not only supports the Lake County Symphony and presents a varied Concert Series, but also sponsors many youth music education opportunities.

In addition to the Youth Orchestra, CLPA offers music presentations in the schools and financial assistance to music students.

CLPA also offers a college scholarship program for students who play in the Lake County Symphony.

For information about CLPA Youth programs, call Andi Skelton at 707-279-4336.

For general CLPA information call President Ed Bublitz, 707-277-8271, or visit www.ClearLakePerformingArts.com .