Touch and Go

An enjoyable, undemanding comedy-drama, with Michael Keaton as famous Chicago ice hockey player Bobby Barbato, a man with humour as dry as his ice and a constant look of hilarious vacancy. One evening Bobby is mugged by an incompetent gang of schoolkids, fronted by obnoxious 11-year-old Louis (Naidou). Grabbing the little toerag by the collar, he drags him home to confront his fiery Latin mum Denise (Alonso). They don't exactly hit it off at first, but soon the odd couple find their lives unavoidably interwoven when Denise is beaten up while Bobby is puck-whacking for the championship. Although a little more ice action wouldn't have gone amiss, the pace rarely slackens and Keaton is in fine form.