Quick Info
This movie tells the quirky true story of a struggling sports agent who travels to India to find cricket players that he hopes to turn into Major League Baseball pitchers. It's got that classic "based on a true story" vibe but with a sort of underdog fish-out-of-water twist, mostly because it's set equally between bustling India and glossy Los Angeles. The cultural clashes are front and center, and I found myself genuinely interested in how these young athletes would adapt—not just to baseball, but to the totally foreign world of America.
Jon Hamm is absolutely the engine here. He plays the agent, J.B. Bernstein, with the right balance of arrogance and vulnerability. It's fun seeing him out of his Don Draper element and having to navigate the eccentricities of recruiting kids who barely speak English. Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal play the recruited pitchers and they're both pretty charming, even if the script doesn’t always give them enough depth.
The strongest parts of the movie are the scenes set in India. The cinematography there is saturated, bustling, and full of color—those sequences have a lived-in, authentic energy that really draws you in. When the story shifts back to the U.S., it becomes a bit more formulaic, which isn't bad per se, but it doesn’t hit with the same freshness. There are some funny fish-out-of-water bits (like the spicy food scene) that genuinely made me laugh.
Some of the emotional beats feel a bit telegraphed, particularly when it gets into Bernstein's “learning to care” arc. But even when it feels a little Hollywood, it still maintains its heart. The sports action is solid, and the ending doesn't overdo the drama, which I appreciated.
You would enjoy this if you like light-hearted sports movies with a hopeful, slightly unconventional twist—and especially if you enjoy stories about cross-cultural connection. It’s not going to change your world, but it’s a pleasant, good-hearted watch you might not have thought to try.
