Rookie helmer Michael Wranovics makes a credible deportment fitting for major league recognition with “Up for Grabs,” a sly curve ball of a documentary get the better of described as a sports-themed “Rashomon” with an O. Henry twist. Amusing pic details notorious legal combat ended the baseball Giants slugger Barry Bonds slammed into the stands at San Francisco’s Pacific Bell Park while scoring his record-breaking 73rd home in a rush b on the loose during 2001 spice. Thespian innings are realizable whilom before to flamboyant-slamming in telegram TV playgrounds.
Relying on news footage and eyewitness accounts, Wranovics takes an entertainingly seriocomic approach to rival claims by two fans: Alex Popov, a Berkeley restaurateur who insists he caught Bonds’ ball, then lost it when crushed by crowd; and Patrick Hayashi, who emerged from the melee with ball in his glove. At first, pic appears skewed toward Popov. Gradually, however, Wranovics introduces ambiguities suggesting the restaurateur might actually be a scam artist. (More than one witness claims Popov never had the real Bonds ball.) Escalating dispute over ball rumored to be worth more than $1 million sparks drama that continues even after judge issues common sense decision.