It’s been a while since I last wrote a review, mostly due to my studies limiting the time I have for watching films. However, I recently took a couple of hours off my usual schedule to watch a film called Moneyball, a biographical sports drama based on the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis which, in turn, is based on the true story of Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt). Billy Beane is the general manager of the Oakland Athletes baseball team. The film centers around Beane assembling a team using evidence based, analytical approaches in an attempt to defeat the most unfair aspect of baseball (and arguably most professional sports) – the team with the most money is the team that will win.
The first great thing about this film I should make note of is the
performances. More specifically, Brad Pitt’s performance as Billy Beane. Pitt truly
gets into this role, becoming the character. He presents Beane as relaxed, yet
edgy – often unsure of himself, but determined to succeed. The rest of the cast
is well performed as well, but it’s Pitt’s character that really steals the
show. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.
The directing is solid, thought it isn’t particularly mind-blowing. One
scene transits into the next smoothly, but nothing is done outside of what you’d
expect. Where the film shines is not in its direction, but in its story and
pacing. The story of Beane’s attempt to assemble a legitimately competitive
baseball team with very little money is absolutely engrossing. Without a doubt,
this is one of the most entertaining sports films I have ever seen. The script
is funny, tense and often emotional – something which is complimented by the
all-round solid performances.
Something I truly love about this film is that it is proof of the relevance
of cinema as a means to express art. I
took away an incredible message from this film, and though the ending couldn’t be
described as “happy”, a great feat certainly was accomplished. When a film
comes along that can change a person’s perspective, that’s when you know it’s
special. I personally don’t care for baseball, so the fact that I can be so
moved by a film about baseball says a lot in favour of the film. It doesn’t
matter if you like baseball or not, nor does it matter if you want to see this
film for artistic purposes or for pure
entertainment. Moneyball will no doubt satisfy your needs.
