Winning for less

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2012)

Having lost in the playoffs Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's baseball team has to set about replacing his three top players who have been poached by wealthier clubs. Working for the poorest team in the league he can't afford good players but when he goes to buy a player from another team he is surprised when the sale falls through following a word from a young unknown member of the office staff this is Peter Brand; he hasn't spent years in the game in fact his back ground is economics not sport; there is something about him though and Beane ends up hiring him instead of a player! Together they set about building a new team of cheap overlooked players. At first this doesn't go down well they hire what appears to be a bunch of has-beens and never-will-bes and not surprisingly they start to lose a lot. Part way through the season they trade some of their best players and something surprising to the world of baseball happens; they start to win. They don't just win the odd game here and there; they start to build a winning streak that rivals those of the greatest teams and might even take the record.
Not knowing much about baseball I wasn't that sure I'd enjoy this film but I did; in fact the lack of knowledge may have increased my enjoyment as I genuinely had no idea how it would end which kept things exciting. Brad Pitt did a fine job as Beane and was ably supported by Jonah Hill as Brand and the always excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays the doubting field manager. The story is told in a way that can be enjoyed by fans and non-fans of the game. Most of the action takes place in the offices away from the field of play but that doesn't mean we don't see any of the games. One of the things that surprised be most was the fact that there were quite a few laugh out loud moments more than many so-called comedies in fact! I'd certainly recommend watching this whether you are a fan of the sport or not; it was two hours well spent.