Moneyball

Brilliant. I enjoy the hell out of these sports biopic dramas, whether it's basketball (Hustle), tennis (King Richard and Borg/Mcenroe, skiing (Eddie the Eagle), figure skating (I Tonya), car racing (Le Mans 66 and Rush). Mow I'm adding baseball to the collection thanks to Moneyball. I'm also one of those who will probably never understand the game, but that doesn't matter here, the sport itself doesn't matter that much, as it is about the behind the scenes of managers and player trading, which I surprisingly enjoyed – selling people in a different way. The whole idea of putting together a team of players that no one trusts just based on computer stats is awesome. Brad Pitt is excellent as usual, Jonah Hill is also fine, and they carry the film. The well-written dialogue, a few unexpected twists, the great direction and a thrilling finale make this a nice piece of filmmaking as well as an entertaining sports movie. Really great. 8/10. (2022-07-07)

Statistics are boring, but carry valuable information and in the form of a baseball version of The Social Network, it isn’t boring at all. This is as much about baseball as Fincher is about Facebook; in other words, not at all. Despite this, this category is still ruled by The Damned United which is basically the same in a more inventive form of directing and, thanks to the setting, is also a little closer in cultural terms for a European. (2011-12-01)

How much does winning cost? A few years ago, Pitt probably would have got the role of a top-tier baseball player. Because he has become more like Redford, in a good way (more serious material, a more serious expression), he now plays a guy who stands in the background. Less action, but no less ambition. For him, achieving success is of primary importance. If he didn’t succeed as an athlete, he wants to at least assert himself from a management position. Here he no longer has to consider others, because he is the one who hands out the checks. So why bother pretending and hiding his arrogant, choleric nature behind a nice mask? Not that he isn't a nice guy (with a few family stops), but he definitely doesn’t play "an American hero", always honest and infallible. For him, human beings are numbers that can, if necessary, simply be crossed out, in which I see a more distinct similarity to The Social Network, with the difference being that this time it’s not only about ones and zeros. The game played behind the scenes is more thrilling than those played on the baseball fields, to which this predominantly interior drama turns our attention only a few times.   Will the humanistic, economic or compromise approach win out? The answer is not clear even after the closing minutes, of which there could be fewer (and which push the plot in a slightly different direction). The film avoids adoring Billy Beane, or rather what he personifies (the pursuit of personal happiness at the expense of others). Though the film borrows certain story elements from theatrical fairy tales (flashbacks, a game that has to be won), it actually coldly shows what these films about great victories are based on. (For example, the otherwise important character of the coach is pushed aside, which is evident in his positioning on the periphery of the shot and is emphasised by the "committed" performance of the excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman). Miller peels away the sporting veneer to reveal the cynical managerial drama hidden underneath. At the same time, there are no obstacles placed in the Remuda way of good old tugging at the heartstrings, which, on the other hand, is not  assisted in any way (for example, by the soundtrack, whose primary purpose is to create tension). The ambivalent concept of the traditional assault on emotions is beautifully summed up by the daughter’s song, which Billy plays at the end. In short, it’s emotion with a “but…”, and with a lot of added value to think over. 80% (2011-11-30)

The Social Network meets baseball. Without knowing the name of the (co-) screenwriter in advance, I read Sorkin's work in it. It is once again irreconcilable, reckless, verbose (towards the subject), at times coldly distant, yet full of respect for the "solitaire" who will change the world (of baseball). Enjoyment of the film will increase exponentially with the viewer's awareness of the game as such. But even if you know as much about baseball as I do, there are still a lot of lively-written and well-acted characters whose relationships and communication entice. The film didn't seem all that rational to me (I didn't understand it in detail), but emotionally it just works (at times, surprisingly, and I don't know why, the adult infantile relationship between Billy and his daughter evoked Coppola’s Nowhere). Moreover, apart from a few cliche slow-motion parts, I have to appreciate how spartan the whole thing is. No ultimate feel-good. Just "daddy, you’re such a loser"... A remarkable testimony about how things can be changed and (again) a film that is about a rebellion against those who say that there is no other way. Coincidence? You decide. :-) (2011-11-15)

Very smart and cleverly directed, without unnecessary arrogance and artificially heightened emotions. A bit reminiscent of Any Given Sunday, but far less controversial. It must be said that Moneyball also relies on its actors, especially on Brad Pitt (he’s ageing like fine wine) and the young Jonah Hill (excellent potential). I lacks drive, but it's not that they forgot about it, it simply wasn't part of the plan. An unconventional sports film. (2012-01-29)