Movie Review: Moneyball

Moneyball

PG-13, 2 hr. 13 min.

Directed By

Bennett Miller

Written By

Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin

Genres

Drama, Comedy

Main Actors: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright

Easy on the eyes factor: 8. Two words, Brad Pitt. Need I say more.

30 Minute Rule: Movie is fun and engaging right from the start. I like the set up and character development. The fun and interaction with the baseball players are like watching Major League, but just a bit more serious.

Plot: Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's and the guy who assembles the team, who has an epiphany: all of baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (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. It's more than baseball, it's a revolution - one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the crosshairs of those who say he's tearing out the heart and soul of the game.

My Review: I know what some of you are saying. I don't like baseball or It's not about the Yankees or Baseball Sucks, etc. But this movie is so much more interesting than baseball. First, it's Brad Pitt and he makes almost any role good. Two, the very funny Jonah Hill is the sidekick. You've seen him in funny movies such as Superbad and Get Him To The Greek. Brad Pitt is so convincing as the Oakland A's GM Billy Beane that when you actually see Billy Beane, you immediately think of Brad Pitt. He makes Billy fun to watch.

The movie does not go out of its way to wax poetic about the pageantry of America's pastime or it doesn't do it's best Bob Costas impression of telling us how important baseball is to our lives. It just simply does not. What it does is tell you a story about a man who wanted to win without the resources to win. Who had to go up against the Goliath like the Yankees and the Red Sox without a big gun and no budget. Who lost all of his best players to free agency and teams and markets with bigger payroll options. Have you ever been given a task to succeed at something with little or no resources?

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are so funny in this movie and so disciplined in their roles. I think Moneyball will be enjoyable for everyone .

Rating: 9 of 10