Brad Pitt's bet pays off big.

Rating: 9/10 (24 September 2011)

The fact that this film ever got made with its troubled production history is a minor miracle, but due to Brad Pitt sticking with it did get made. His faith in the material was not misplaced. This film is a major success.
There hasn't been sports film this weird since "Field Of Dreams". Aside from the performances its pleasures lie elsewhere. The script makes numbers crunching amusing, there are jokes without punchlines, an unhurried pace which allows for potent pauses (as opposed to pregnant pauses) & a confidence in itself which is intoxicating. It also doesn't hurt to have Chris Nolan's Oscar winning cinema-photographer, Wally Pfister, adding what amounts to be almost another character to his shots.
Another odd choice was Bennett Miller who brings his art house smarts to this defiantly non-mainstream material. A team of underdogs hasn't been managed/directed this well since with as much success since the '88 Dodgers or the '02 Angels (I live in SoCal).
However, Brad Pitt & Philip Seymour Hoffman (he may be underused but he is great nevertheless) are certainly no underdogs. The Mickey Hatcher work here is done by Jonah Hill who soars in his first straight dramatic performance. It is understated & awkward & often very moving & funny because of its total lack of clichés. His execution of the role pretty much describes the whole movie.
BUT make no mistake about it this is Pitt's film. His quiet confidence & ease carries this film throughout & makes it an enormous pleasure to watch.
It may help you if you love baseball as much as I do or smart movie-making because "Moneyball" is an early Oscar contender.