Bennett Miller’s adaptation of Michael Lewis’ best-selling book Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics in 2001 and 2002.  Beane’s team loses in the playoffs to the New York Yankees and he is forced to cut payroll. He decides to work with Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young Ivy Leaguer who crunches numbers in order to determine who should play for the team. Their approach riles traditional baseball men and even their own field manager, Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), but eventually things start to turn their way. Beane’s past as a failed prospect and his relationship with his daughter frame the Athletics struggles and eventual successes.

One of the best baseball movies ever made, Moneyball has wonderful scenes on the field. The integration of real baseball footage and that made for the film is effective and, for someone who is familiar with the time, accurate. Pitt’s quiet performance does a nice job capturing Beane as a failure who has nothing to lose and thus is willing to try something new. Hoffman disappears into his role as Howe and Hill is effective as the low key Brand (based on the real life Paul DePodesta, who didn’t want his name used). Outside of baseball, the film is effective at examining the dynamics of challenging convention and the effects it has on well-established systems. The pressure on Beane to change his ways during the film is strong but he holds fast to his plan because he believes it to be right. The film is probably a little too long and at times is corny but overall this is an effective sports film that should be seen by everyone interested in baseball, systems-based processes, and Brad Pitt.

✰ ✰ ✰.

MJM  02-03-2012