The Catcher Was a Spy

The name Moe Berg might not ring a bell with either baseball historians or World War II buffs. So you wish the biopic The Catcher Was a Spy, despite its explanatory title, was more eager to fill in the blanks.

Instead, the moderately intriguing thriller tends to further trivialize the remarkable story of its enigmatic subject whose obscure on-field accomplishments paled in comparison to his top-secret efforts as an unlikely Jewish-American diplomat.

As the film opens, Moe (Paul Rudd) is a journeyman catcher in the late 1930s nearing the end of his career with the Boston Red Sox, preparing to transition into coaching. He also has an Ivy League education, speaks several languages, wins trivia competitions, and devours news stories about the impending war. As his girlfriend (Sienna Miller) explains: “You’re the furthest thing from an ordinary man that anyone could know.”

Berg’s lack of a romantic commitment is characteristic of his secretive nature that makes him an ideal fit when he’s called upon by an official (Jeff Daniels) at the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner to the CIA. It turns out the government could use his skills as part of a high-stakes intelligence mission targeting German physicist Werner Heisenberg (Mark Strong).

In Europe, Berg is tasked with locating Heisenberg, learning if his work with nuclear fission is being used to help the Nazis develop an atomic bomb, and assassinating him if necessary.

The muddled screenplay by Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan), adapted from Nicholas Dawidoff’s book, relies too heavily on melodrama — and strangely, chess metaphors — in the final act. Berg’s emotional aloofness is understandably difficult to reconcile.

As directed by Ben Lewin (The Sessions), the film’s jumbled chronology ultimately yields more talk than action, with dialogue that sometimes feels didactic. It embellishes some historical details while also tending to oversimplify the central conflict.

Rudd seems an odd choice for Berg, although he is Jewish. The supporting cast adds some clout, including Guy Pearce as an Army officer, Paul Giamatti as a neurotic American scientist, and Tom Wilkinson as Heisenberg’s colleague.

At least the film shines a worthwhile spotlight on Berg, the sort of affable, unassuming hero who’s easy to root for. Like its protagonist, The Catcher Was a Spy is a workmanlike effort that’s more of a ground-ball single than a home run.

Rated R, 98 minutes.