The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Wish it had been another half hour longer. It was a great movie, and based on a really cool guy, Moe Berg. I really liked him and it was cool to see Paul Rudd in a drama. I would definitely recommend this movie.

This film centers on the life of Moe Berg (a Red Sox catcher) who volunteers as an OSS (now CIA) agent. His objective is to thwart the Nazi's from developing an atomic bond. It's a good film that will remind many viewers of movies from the 60s. There is no CGI, and you won't mistake it for an action thriller.The movies is based on actual events and is primarily an character film with an outstanding cast...a movie unlike many produced today. It shows a world of spies that is less glamorous than Bond or similar films. The Catcher Was a Spy probably won't appeal to a young audience. It is an adult film. If you enjoy films from the golden age of Hollywood, this is a film for you.

Based on a true story of Morris "Moe" Berg, a man who played catcher for 14 years with the Boston Red Sox. He was a highly educated non-practicing Jew with was fluid in many languages. After Pearl Harbor, he contacted a friend who landed him a job with the OSS. Eventually his task would be to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, who was possibly making an atomic weapon for Germany. I love history stories where I don't know the outcome. What I will say is a .245 lifetime hitter is far better than any sandlot player. The film was dreadfully slow, but I needed to know the ending. I also thought Paul Rudd was not the best choice for the lead. Granted he had to be dead pan, but maybe a bit cocky would of helped the tale. The title, which sounds like a JD Salinger rip off, might keep folks away. Guide: No F-words. Sex scene. No nudity.

Amazing cast, nice design. Good director. Unfortunately the writing is a big problem. An inactive protagonist, things simply happen to him, he solves none of the problems of the film, he's along for the ride. Take a lesson from Bridge of Spies: there you have an active protagonist actively taking action to solve the film's problems. There's not one thing the lead solves in this film. He's passive and he's got nothing to offer in terms of skills. And when he does take action, he's shown as incompetent. Very strange choices with the writing. Had they have done the opposite in most of their choices they'd have had a good movie. A real shame they green lit this before they had a script. Now this story will never be told with good writing.