The torch has been passed.

Rating: 7/10 (5 February 2012)

Moneyball is a fine, diverting picture dealing with Oakland Athletic's GM Billy Beane. The film documents his successful attempt in 2002 to build a competitive baseball team with low-rent players. The film is a baseball fan's dream, and full of interesting characters and good writing. The main thing I noticed above everything else, however, is that the torch has officially been passed in American cinema. For years it was Robert Redford as the eternally handsome American leading man who got all the great parts, despite his often limited acting range. Now that Redford is too old for that distinction, Pitt has finally reached the point is his career where he can take the torch and run with it.
Perhaps on the set of Spy Game they even agreed on this transition. "Brad," Robert may have said to him one morning outside their luxury trailers, "one of these days it will be all you. I can't fool them forever. Just smile at the camera, let them give you enough back-light, find a cause or two, and you will be immortal." "Cool. That's heavy," Pitt would have replied. "But do I have to have a cause? Can't I just hold a film festival in the mountains like you do each winter?" "No," Redford would have replied, sternly. "Sundance will always be my gig. Maybe you can just find an attractive, yet creepy woman and help her adopt a bunch of racially diverse kids. That can be your cause." "Okay. Cool," Pitt replied. You get the picture. Anyway, Brad Pitt is now officially THAT GUY. He's the handsome leading man who can't really act, but doesn't necessarily need to. Clark Gable might have preceded Redford.
But as far as Moneyball goes, its good enough, but not great. I loved the cost cutting measures the Athletics use to fit within their meager budget. Having players actually pay for soda in their own locker room. Signing fossils like Dave Justice and having to put him out on banners since there are no real stars on the team. It also gives the players some nice human touches. Think of a journeyman like Scott Hatteburg. What do these guys do for money once all MLB teams are convinced you have nothing left to give the sport? They still have families to feed, but all of a sudden no means to do so. The film suffers from too many maudlin scenes of Pitt moping around or driving around depressed. The film needed to be more upbeat. Too much time spent on Pitt's family, too. But did you notice how he's beginning to feather his hair on the sides? He's even trying to look a little like Redford. But this film is no The Natural. 7 of 10 stars.
The Hound.