Like a satisfying double-header

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2012)

Clocking in at 2 hours, 13 minutes, "Moneyball" requires a commitment. Beyond time, an interest - or at least a lack of aversion - to mathematical concepts and, obviously, baseball also will aid in the enjoyment of this biopic. While athletic Brad Pitt does a reasonable impression of athletic former ballplayer Billy Beane, the true star is author Michael Lewis. Lewis is contemporary literature's foremost writer on men, money and the risks the one takes with the other. His ability to illuminate the arcane economic theories the character of Peter Brand (the Oscar-nominated Jonah Hill) brings to bear on baseball player selection gives the book and the movie real heft. Hill likely does not deserve the Oscar nod for player a fairly uni-dimensional statistician who is not taxed to demonstrate any real emotion (unless awkward is an emotion). At least the wildly miscast Philip Seymour Hoffman didn't get one for the cerebral actor's misguided attempt at portraying put-upon Oakland A's manager Art Howe. Beyond these three men the other characters are largely forgettable former (mostly) baseball players. In short, if you like baseball or numbers the film is a must-see but otherwise you'll find it overlong and lacking true dramatic engagement.