Review of Moneyball (2011) by Halfwelshman — 02 Aug 2012

A film about the link between sport and mathematics really shouldn't be this entertaining. Through a combination of great acting, a clever script and sheer energy, Moneyball is certainly up there with the top sports movies.

It questions the very foundations of, and morality behind big-money US sports, and how shallow and mercenary they have become over the years. Brad Pitt is simply spellbinding as the ambitious but troubled and volatile baseball team manager Billy Beane, and Jonah Hill leaves his Superbad days long behind him with a mature and effortlessly natural performance as Peter Brand, an economics graduate who impresses Beane with his knowledge of baseball statistics and is hired to be the brains behind the Oakland Athletics.

As the most memorable sport films tend to be, Moneyball is a good old-fashioned underdog story based on a series of truly remarkable real events. The only thing I question about the film is the need to fall back on tried and tested sports movie cliches for the finale - slow-motion, muffled sound, you name it it's in there, and it somewhat undermines the whole show.

Some aspects of the film's plot can also be difficult to follow if you're unfamiliar with baseball, but it would be unfair to mark a film down harshly for a lack of viewer knowledge. These are very minor gripes in the grand scheme of things, and Moneyball is still a compelling viewing experience, and for the most part, a refreshingly different take on a sports movie.