Subtle Sayles

Eight Men Out (MGM)
John Sayles’ 1988 account of the Black Sox scandal of 1919, when Shoeless Joe Jackson and his teammates conspired to throw the World Series, displays many of this eminent independent director’s qualities in abundance: a manifest intelligence, a good grasp of the wider implications of historical material, and his straightforward helming of a large ensemble cast. With period trappings in place, Sayles concentrates on the subtleties of the scandal, working well with actors D.B. Sweeney (Shoeless Joe), John Cusack, Charlie Sheen and Michael Lerner.
EXTRAS: Sayles commentary; retrospective featurettes and interviews.