Release Date: 9/23/2011
Moneyball, directed by Bennett Miller (Capote), based on the book by Michael Lewis and written by Oscar winning screenwriters Steve Zaillian (Schindler’s List) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network), is a sports drama following Oakland A’s owner and former first round draft pick Billy Beane. The film is unlike any sports movie I’ve ever seen, realistically portraying the inner workings of a major league franchise’s front office. It is technically impressive but, like the game of baseball itself, it has pacing issues which tends for it to drag at times before reaching moments of true greatness. Any fan of the game will respect the story and thoroughly enjoy the character study of it’s lead actor. It’s not quite the Oscar contender I was hoping for but it still succeeds as an entertaining and original look at America’s pastime. There is romance in baseball.
Based on a true story, Moneyball follows Billy Beane played by Brad Pitt, the general manager of the Oakland A’s. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime first round pick teams with Yale grad Peter Brand played by Jonah Hill in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games, much to the dismay of the A’s coach Art Howe played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. It’s more than baseball, it’s a revolution – one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the cross-hairs of those who say he’s tearing out the heart and soul of the game.
The film was cast wonderfully. Brad Pitt gets to showcase his super-stardom in the lead role and he’s solid. It’s not quite an Oscar worthy performance but it I could see a nomination for his A-list status alone if it’s a weak year, in the same scope as George Clooney for Up in the Air. Jonah Hill is perfect as the geeky Yale graduate who Pitt takes under his wing. His comedic timing and awkwardness fit the role very well. He continues to show his expanding range in taking on more dramatic roles, with this and Cyrus from last year. Philip Seymour Hoffman is probably the most talented actor in this film but he’s barely in it. The story didn’t really focus on him and it’s a shame because I would of loved to see more of him. In his small part he shows off hid talents not by dialogue but by facial expressions and body language and it just goes to show you how gifted of an actor he really is.
The game of baseball has never been so elegantly displayed in film before. Rather then dramatizing the sport like the films The Natural or The Rookie, Moneyball subtly shows it off, as it is just sits as a backdrop to the characters it’s defining. Baseball isn’t even played much in the film, it’s more of a talky sports film rather then an action packed one. This is to be expected when the writer of The Social Network helps craft the script. There is one scene especially that has his style draped all over it. Billy Beane and Peter Brand are meticulously trying to make a deal for a left handed reliever. They make backwards deals through multiple phone calls with it finally ending in a silent fist pump. It’s an amazing scene and an expertly written one.
Technically this movie is beautiful. Oscar winner Wally Pfister does an excellent job with the cinematography. It’s simple yet masterfully composed, a scene where Pitt’s character pulls off on an exit and the camera pulls out is one scene that comes to mind that gave me chills. One of the favorite things about the film was how it spliced old footage with footage they actually shot. Credit also needs to go to the editor for cutting it together seamlessly. The sound was impressive or lack of sound, as some scenes were dead silent as we just watched the images on screen, when it worked it worked to perfection. Bennett Miller, for the most part, kept the story moving. There are a few times though that I thought he could of moved things along quicker and there are a few scenes that drug a bit mostly in the middle as well as the final few. For this reason I don’t think everyone will love the movie, the patient moviegoer and most baseball fans will surely come out satisfied though.
Moneyball is not your typical sports drama, anyone going in expecting an Oscar caliber uplifting story will be sadly mistaken. The sport of baseball is unfair and by the end you will be feeling sorry for Billy Beane and his Oakland A’s, but sometimes you hit a home run without even knowing it. It’s a metaphor and Moneyball is MADE.
IMDB: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Movie Wiseguys: 8/10
