Moneyball (2011)

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2011)

To some Moneyball may seem dry and boring. It's essentially a sports film with very little of its subject sport. Instead it focuses on numbers and statistics, and how sometimes these can be a good substitute for huge pay cheques. I have no real interest in any sport from any part of the world, but I do love me a good sports movie. Moneyball is about Billy Beane, a man that works as a general manager to one of the lesser baseball teams. He is looking for that all important last win of the season, and has his own demons having been told he was going to be the next big thing when he was younger. This didn't exactly pan out, as the scouts failed to question whether his skills would battle against his confidence in the big leagues. These sections are told in brief flashbacks and give us a great insight into the character. They are not completely necessary, but they allow us to see why such a man isn't as motivated by money. Peter Brand comes in and explains that using complex maths, a cheaper team could indeed stand up against the bigger teams. It's a great underdog story, where every player is an underdog as well as the whole team. It shows us the importance of taking a risk, and how sometimes breaking conventions is the only way you might have a chance. Moneyball also works by not being all about success. The successes come with the failures, resulting in a well rounded and thoughtful film. Hill gives his best performance so far, and Pitt further cements himself as a great actor. Beware though, this is a talky movie, but one that you should be involved in.