The story of Moe Berg is certainly a fascinating one. It seems that he moved comfortably astride the worlds of athleticism and erudition, an intellectual's "man's man." And this is why in "The Catcher Was a Spy," the casting of Paul Rudd seems so misguided. Certainly, some actors, Richard Burton and Russell Crowe come to mind, can handle both roles of a strong physical presence and of an acute mind, but Rudd is just out of his depth here. Perhaps, the gross assumption that an unmarried Ivy educated man who values his privacy must perforce be gay dictated that an actor used to playing more diffident roles was required.
Despite this distraction of Rudd's seeming to be soldiering on, the film still has much to offer, including the entertainingly wild improbability of this true story, and the very compelling performances by Tom Wilkinson and Mark Strong. Personally, I am always cautious with stories displaying the "based on a true story" rubric, but here, the meta-questions of whether fact or fiction fell aside while enjoying the story.
Despite this distraction of Rudd's seeming to be soldiering on, the film still has much to offer, including the entertainingly wild improbability of this true story, and the very compelling performances by Tom Wilkinson and Mark Strong. Personally, I am always cautious with stories displaying the "based on a true story" rubric, but here, the meta-questions of whether fact or fiction fell aside while enjoying the story.