‘Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game’ Review
Stars: Dennis Boutsikaris, Mike Faist, Crystal Reed | Written and Directed by Austin and Meredith Bragg
Writer/Director duo Austin and Meredith Bragg make their feature-film debut with this biopic of Roger Sharpe, a writer and game designer known for helping to end New York City’s 36-year ban on pinball. The film opens with an interview being conducted with Sharpe (Dennis Boutsikaris) as he’s asked about that fateful day, although he insists that important context must be given by first delving into the history.
Sharpe sets the scene while requesting they play Imagine, although the trip down memory lane is halted when the interviewer says John Lennon’s song is a little slow and expensive. Substituted is a less recognisable piece of music, while the story transitions into Sharpe narrating about his younger self (Mike Faist), recently divorced and trying to work as a writer. Through these confusing times, Roger finds purpose in the one thing he’s good at… pinball.
While the game doesn’t change Roger’s situation, instead making him poorer than before, it gives him a new confidence as he garners control over something in his chaotic life. Faist is a wonderful presence as the aspiring writer trying to rebuild his life, including striking up a relationship with single mother Ellen (Crystal Reed). He captures this likeable goof with a passion for pinball behind a Ned Flanders exterior, although Faist’s charm cannot sell the ridiculous-looking moustache he must wear. It’s a highlighted misjudged inclusion which distracts the eye, feeling as glaring as the attempts to remove Henry Cavill’s moustache for 2017’s Justice League.
It’s easy to believe in his relationships with the supporting cast, as fun character dynamics come from his scenes with GQ employees. While Reed and Faist share such sweet chemistry, she never feels relegated to a prop in Roger’s story. She offers help to him where possible, yet she’s her own person that’s an aspiring artist who’s fearful of showing her work.
It’s all part of this true story which isn’t widely known, as pinball was initially banned in major cities because of “a little man with a big chip on his shoulder”, under the belief it’s a gambling game about luck rather than skill. Roger is driven to counteract that by telling the true story from the creator’s mouth, as these compelling sequences depict people tired of the negative connotations attached to their creation.
While it’s a familiar tale, the Braggs tell it so well within this retro-stylised package that’s utterly enjoyable. Take a scene where Roger reveals his pinball passion to Ellen, located within an adult bookstore. Viewers expect her to be shocked by the exterior, yet that doesn’t damper the laughs which come from her reaction.
Key to the film is its knowing humour, which extends to the narrator’s physical presence. More than just the film’s framing device, he’s an active participant who provides a great deal of the laughs, from his takedowns of historical elements to questioning on-screen choices. It’s fun when a scene is interrupted mid-swear to ask what the film will be rated, although the reaction to the innuendo shown when Roger teaches Ellen to play pinball is a highlight.
Considering the film tackles tired tropes on-screen, it’s unfortunate it must fall into such a trap by manufacturing conflict before the final act. Regardless, Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game is a love letter to an industry created from nothing during the depths of the depression, and the largely overlooked story behind its ban told in an entertaining 94-minute package.
