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Disappointment for a huge fan!

Best movie ever!

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

"Draft Day" is a movie with Kevin Costner, telling the story of a NFL executive working for the Cleveland Browns who prepares for the annual Draft Day and gets in real trouble when he agrees on what seems to be a fabulous deal but turns out to be a dangerous trade when the prime candidate shows some dark sides and the coach disagrees on the deal.This is indeed a strong movie because it manages to create a thriller out of seemingly rather usual executive actions and makes you root for a main character that is, objectively spoken, not the most sympathetic guy. Personally I would have preferred had they taken an actual example of a real draft rather than create a fictional scenario but nonetheless this turns out to be a better thriller than many titles that include horrible crimes and chasing scenes. Of course this one also comes with a set of A-class actors but it would also work without them and that deserves respect.All in all I was never bored and really wanted to see how the plot turns out in the end. Of course you should have some basic knowledge of the sport or at least some interest but this could also be a good way to introduce you to the fascination of the game and everything that surrounds it.

This film was well-acted and competently shot, but it definitely can't be called a great sports film. Great sports films transcend the sport they portray. At many points, Draft Day finds itself challenged to even transcend the annual event of the NFL draft. Indeed, at times the film felt like a mere vehicle for promoting the TV extravaganza that the NFL has made of its annual rookie selection process. I was certainly entertained by the concept and plot, as I'm a fairly engaged NFL fan and an avid follower of the off-season moves that NFL personnel offices make in order to improve their teams. However, I think that this film is entertaining to people like me and no one else, which is unfortunate. There was real human drama and consequence that could have been added to the film if a few of the other characters were better developed. While Costner's character was fairly well fleshed out, Chadwick Boseman's, Dennis Leary's, and most importantly Jennifer Garner's were not, and instead felt like mere placeholders (and at times even sports movie clichés). In my estimation, the director and writers missed a prime opportunity to show the personal stress and grueling work hours that can accompany the high-profile positions these characters each hold in a multi-billion-dollar industry. A few scenes of how the demands of professional football impact their family relationships and how their lives are seasonally consumed with the work of running the organization (and in the case of Boseman's character, of trying to break into an industry that will batter his body but allow him to acquire wealth and security for his family). The scenes in Draft Day that attempt to touch on these issues are superficial at best, and didn't effectively convey the struggles these people face, even while they are scrutinized and shamed by the general public, and hounded by the media. POSSIBLE SPOILER: the scene that did partially touch on the fan reaction side was so detached as to be comical, with fans protesting outside the stadium of a GM who made a decision they didn't like.In all, I would call Draft Day a missed opportunity - The script was good, the cast was excellent, and there is a hint of the high stakes that the NFL Draft can encompass, but the movie fails to do anything to get the attention of those who aren't already at least casual fans of the NFL and it's Draft event. And in that, I would say that it even fails in its attempt (and I would argue that this is the real goal of the film in the first place) to attract an expanded viewership to the NFL's Draft Day event. For my part, even as a staunch fan of NFL football and professional sports personnel machinations, I was mostly bored while watching Draft Day.

"Draft Day" is quite unusual as a sports movie. It doesn't show any of the cast actually playing or coaching in practice or a game. It does have some film clips of great NFL games of the past. What it's about is the behind the scenes big business of building teams each year during the NFL draft. It includes aspects of caring about players, talent scouts and searches, player agents, owners, coaches and team managers.And, for the realism of this film, it includes scenes that show some of the NFL stadiums around the U.S. Other realism is added with the on-site filming of the 2013 NFL draft in New York City, and scripted reports by TV sports show hosts Chris Berman and others. While some may be put off by the backstage wrangling and big business aspects of professional football, this gives a glimpse of what that must be like. Without the NFL draft to regulate and help level the field for various franchises to build their teams, the sport would be chaotic and probably dwindle to just a few teams that had the backing to afford the salaries and costs. The cast all perform well. Kevin Costner, as Sonny Weaver Jr., gives a real sense of the angst a manager must go through around the time of the annual NFL draft. All of the cast give good performances. I thought it somewhat strange and out of character, though, for Sonny's mother to insist on spreading her husband's ashes on the field on the most trying day of the year for her son. As a football wife and widow, she surely would have waited until the next day. The film has a sense of reality about it. It's refreshing for not being laden with foul language. It has romance without the frequent Hollywood nudity or sex. It reflects the growing modern view of intimate relationships, including having children, with no thoughts or commitments for marriage. Most sports fan should enjoy this film, and others should find it interesting. It may help non-enthusiasts to a little better understand the scope of professional football. My favorite line in the film is Ali (played by Jennifer Garner) telling Sonny, "There's no such thing as a sure thing. At the end of the day, all that matters… is what do you think?" (sic)

Kevin Costner mailed in his performance. Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, even Liam Neeson would have brought the needed passion and range of emotion to the Sonny Weaver, Jr.'s character. Kevin Costner plays it like he's Dennis Weaver. So, surprisingly, did Denis Leary. I can only guess that Denis had no input as to his dialogue and the director refused to allow any ad lib's or spontaneity. I expected more energy and intensity from a life long football man. Only in the finals 10 minutes is there any sense of draft day excitement in Costner's character. The other actors playing GMs do a much better job. So did the supporting cast of Cleveland Browns scouts and execs, (except Leary). Jennifer Garner is wasted in this movie. There is no visible chemistry between Costner and Garner: no sense of why these character's even like each other, much less took the time to make a baby. Frank Langella is excellent, and visibly having fun with his role.