Moneyball

Movie Name: Moneyball

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Bennett Miller

Stars: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Brent Jennings, Arliss Howard, Tammy Blanchard

Genre: Drama, Sport

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

"Moneyball" had it's fair share of problems on the way to the screen. The film was originally slated to be directed by Steven Soderbergh, who walked away from the project shortly before it was due to start shooting. Director Bennett Miller, who previously tackled "Capote", took the director's seat and the film followed without any incidents. "Moneyball" follows the story of Billy Beane, General Manager for the baseball team Oakland A's. After another painful season and another loss, Beane realizes he does not have as much money as bigger teams, which makes his job a lot more difficult. He hires a young professional named Peter Brand, a Yale Economics graduate, who has a more analytical and statistical concept of the game. According to Peter, through stats you can build a winning team, with players that are under-used or simply disregarded. Beane decides to follow this concept against everything and everyone.
"Moneyball" is based on a true story, with some additional elements added for dramatic effect, but the film has an authentic and documentary style that makes it gripping and riveting. It's a film that works not just as simple "baseball" film, but as a triumph of intelligence, of initiative over the status quo, over the establishment. The film smartly focuses on Brad Pitt's Billy Beane, a man who had a history in the sport, a man who was trying to make something different, to accomplish more than he ever did as a player. Bennett Miller also gives a glimpse into Beane's personal life, as a father and a ex-husband, someone who treasures his daughter's happiness. The character is a fully rounded one, a character that evolves, also thanks to Brad Pitt's great performance. The cinematography of Wally Pfister is fantastic as is the score of Mychael Danna. A great film worth watching!