Moneyball

Moneyball is everything a true sports fan could hope for. What I mean is that there aren't any glorified scenes of heroics, or miracle last second shots. What there is plenty of however, are statistics. Lines and lines of statistics. It's a bit unfair to an uninitiated fantasy sports fan, but the basic idea is that an innovative general manager uses his Yale economics graduate sidekick and turns the way that owners assemble teams upside down, building a winning team with a low salary.

Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland A's, with a swagger and levity that really makes the game fun again. He's a man haunted by the mistakes of his past, desperately searching for his love of the game. Hellbent on winning, but limited by his owner's shallow pockets, he tries a new strategy aptly dubbed "Moneyball". It's the idea that professional sports have become more business and less heart. That the team with the most stars wins. It's a philosophy commonly accepted among all of the major sports leagues, and incidentally is the reason for salary caps despite monstrous profits.

The problem is that the small market teams such as Oakland just can't keep up. That's where Beane and his new assistant GM, Peter Brandt (played remarkably by Jonah Hill in a rare dramatic role) come in. they analyze what it is that makes wins, and come up with a formula for success that they try to put into play.

The manager, Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) isn't impressed, and reverts to his tried and true managing ways, as do the advisers and the scouts. But in a series of events, the 2002 season unfolds like a magical tale straight out of fiction. What Beane did changed sports forever.

This film may not have been made with the intent of garnering Oscar nominations, but it most certainly will get them. This is the best baseball film ever made. No offense to Kevin Costner, but Brad Pitt takes Billy Beane and makes him sincerely lovable. He's the Oceans 11 Pitt, but with responsibility and scruples. Just the cool Brad Pitt that's been missing for a few years.

The authenticity of players, statistics, wins and losses, and dollar amounts adds dramatic credibility, but also ensures that you never actually question how likely any of the events are. It's a testament to the men behind the scenes (no offense ladies) who make professional sports go around.

The introspective look at Billy Beane is a metaphor that goes beyond the game of baseball, or professional sports. It's how a kids game can transcend youth and have such an effect on adults of all ages and backgrounds. Pitt conveys the love effortlessly with his eyes, and his playful smile. There isn't a man alive who can't relate to that longing, sentimental love of a sport.

Sports films usually miss the mark on one of five areas: empathetic characters, heartwarming story, believability, likeability, and action. Moneyball hits the mark. Director Bennett Miller is a relative novice, with just Capote on his resume. He will earn his second Oscar nomination for this, a beacon in a season typically crowded with serious, and sometimes dark films. Moneyball is this year's Social Network. A warm, smart drama with no agenda besides sharing a fascinating story.

Moneyball is a must-see for any film fan. The best baseball film of all time, and one of the better sports-themed movies. Brad Pitt receives another Oscar nomination, and the film stands at the end of the year as one of the top five. The only concern is its early release. Often September films can get lost in the buzz of the November/December fare. For my money, it's incredible. 9/10.