Review of Moneyball (2011) by Steviegjd — 29 Sep 2011

Very good movie about something that is very real about baseball. Professional baseball is different than any other sport, in the sense that some big market teams truly outspend the small market teams.

The movie does a nice job in making this point. However, it grossly oversimplifies what Moneyball really is, it is not only looking at OBP (on base percentage), as the movie implies. It is also a movie; it is not historically accurate in a number of ways.

But neither of those flaws detract from the movie being enjoyable. Brad Pitt is fine playing a good looking ex-jock and Jonah Hill does a nice job playing a made up character (as the person who really was Beane's assistant refused to let his name be used, which led to Paul DePodesta's "role" being played as an overweight nerd).

Phillip Seymour-Hoffman is perfect as manager Art Howe, who the movie vilifies (as it also does to scouts). Perhaps that dichotomy is the biggest weakness of an entertaining film: creating tension by making the good guys really good and their enemies seemingly (and at the same time) stupid, vicious and mean.

But that's movies for you. Still an enjoyable film that is worth seeing.