Million Dollar Arm

This feel-good true-life fish-out-of-water comedy drama stars Jon Hamm as JB Bernstein, a sports agent who recruits two young cricket players from India with the intention of turning them into US baseball stars. But the change in sport and culture proves harder than all three had first thought. The underdog sports story is hard to resist, especially given some delicate handling from director Craig Gillespie (Fright Night), though he lays the sentiment on pretty thick and the representation of India is a bit of a cliché. Hamm's gruff cynicism clashes amusingly with bright-eyed rookies Suraj Sharma and Slumdog Millionaire's Madhur Mittal, while Lake Bell's wise-cracking tenant/love interest completes the unusual surrogate family. As JB's scout, Alan Arkin delivers grumpy comic relief that's familiar but still hilarious. Predictable but charming, Million Dollar Arm may be just another sports movie, but what it does, it does well.