A Little Too Dramatic?

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2013)

Pros: I'm not going to say that I'm in love with Brad Pitt or anything, but... isn't he dreamy? Sadly, we aren't treated to any shirtless Brad, but he is shown working out a few times and is generally wearing form-fitting shirts. On the flip side, we are also not treated to any shirtless Jonah Hill, so... That's always appreciated. I don't really know anything about Billy Beane, but as far as I can tell, Pitt's character is how I would want Beane to be. He does a quality job of breaking out his dramatic chops of yesteryear while still including some of that boyish goofy charm that he has more recently developed. Speaking of acting, for all of you wondering what Jonah Hill's name is doing among the nominees for best supporting actor, please allay your fears. While I can't speak for every single supporting actor who appeared in a film in 2011, I can say that Hill's dramatic skills are indeed present, and I don't think he is misplaced with his nomination. He portrays the intellectual baseball nerd affably well (I didn't use "affably" correctly there, so don't bother looking it up to check me), and the only thing I would have liked more is if the movie had dived more deeply into the new age baseball metrics. But that's probably just the nerd side of me talking; I'm sure I don't speak for everyone.
Cons: Does Brad Pitt have a bet with someone about the number of times he can be seen eating on camera? Not just in this movie, but in all of his movies of late. And not just any food, but generally junk food that he's just shoveling into his mouth... Is he trying to brag about his metabolism or something? I don't really get it.
What I do get, however, is what a five tool player is. And I understood that after the first time those five tools were listed out. The next couple dozen listings weren't really necessary for me to grasp the concept. I suppose it's the point of the movie that baseball scouts and executives focus on the wrong things, but aren't there any other wrong things for them to focus on, other than fielding, running, throwing, hitting, and/or hitting with power?
And while we're at it, let's remember that we're talking about scouts who have been doing this thing for decades, and who have known those same five tools and been making the same assessments about kids for many years. Why do they need to stumble over their words? Shouldn't they know all this by now? I'm assuming there's a desire by some directors of "true stories" to have spoken lines be a little more clumsy and sputtered, because, you know, that's how real people talk. This makes me a little torn. Yes, I like realism. But at the same time, I go to the theaters in part to escape reality. If I want to listen to old men stumble over their words while they describe in broad, sweeping statements how good a ballplayer is, I'll go to the Polo Grounds. In the meantime, I'd like to watch these highly skilled actors deliver their lines with a greater degree of comfort (within their roles, of course), while I, as a responsible movie-goer, bear in mind that I am not, in fact, looking through a window on the real world.
While I'm not looking through a window at the real world, though, I am looking at a portrayal of it. And in this particular case, I'm looking at a portrayal of a baseball team that has been "gutted." Who did they lose again? Oh right, I should remember since they repeated the names Giambi, Damon, and Isringhausen even more often than the five tools mentioned previously. Even with this gutting, the A's still had the best starting rotation in baseball along with one of the elite shortstops in the game. And despite this flash back to reality, the screenwriters and director feel the need to hit you in the face with a dramatic 2x4 when you watch their movie.
Overall: That being said, the movie did suck me right in. It was well-made, with good pacing, compelling characters, an interesting enough story, and a thoroughly woven theme. And when some of the dialog wasn't awkwardly stuttered through, it was sharp and entertaining. Oh, did I mention the movie has Brad Pitt? I'm sheepishly giving it an 8 out of 10, while taking a step back to remind myself that I just saw a movie about generally managing a baseball team, not about curing cancer.