THE CATCHER WAS A SPY (2018)

Underappreciated and under-viewed, this WWII story about ‘Moe’ Berg, journeyman Boston Red Sox catcher/O.S.S. spy, is a fact-based whopper on his unlikely assignment to sneak into Europe on a mission to stop German Physicist Werner Heisenberg from developing a nuclear weapon . . . if in fact he is developing one. Some pinch-penny production compromises occasionally show thru, and the DVD transfer looks unaccountably drab, to say nothing of helmer Ben Lewin’s penchant for cliché set ups (circling every conference table; schtupping on an upright piano). Yet the faults do only modest damage to an amazing tale, especially with such a remarkable cast list. Paul Rudd brings preternatural calm and interior strength to his enigmatic polymath hero, ‘British School’ acting that calls little attention to itself while getting everything across. A hard trick to pull off when every step you take cancels a piece of personality from your last move. What a strange, deceitful, morally upright man the real Berg must have been. (And handsome as a movie star, to judge by the identity card shown before the final credit crawl.) Plus solid backup from Tom Wilkinson, Guy Pearce, Paul Giamatti, Sienna Miller, Giancarlo Giannini & Jeff Daniels, all working up solid character turns. Maybe that punning title undersold the film.

DOUBLE-BILL: For more on Heisenberg, Michael Frayn’s brain-teaser of a play, COPENHAGEN/’02, a near-miss tv adaptation from Howard Davies with Stephen Rea, Daniel Craig & Francesca Annis, raises similar ‘is he/isn’t he’ questions on allegiance still not answered. OR: More O.S.S. espionage with Fritz Lang sending Gary Cooper into Italy on a nuclear brain-picking operation in the largely unsatisfactory CLOAK AND DAGGER/’46. (both films covered below)

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Compare this with George Clooney’s lux production of another unlikely WWII op, this one involving stolen art treasure, in his specious & showboating THE MONUMENTS MEN/’14, yet still pulling in 70 times CATCHER’s gross. (see below)