Review of Moneyball (2011) by Joshua B — 22 Jun 2013

Leave it to Aaron Sorkin to take a subject -- baseball statistics -- that has little to no appeal to me and make a pretty interesting movie out of it. While this isn't really even a baseball film -- there are few actual sports scenes in it -- there is enough interesting behind-the-scenes action that it feels like one.

Brad Pitt, in one of the strongest performances of his career, plays the real life Oakland A's exec, Billy Beane, who turned heads with his number-crunching technique called Sabermetrics, which he used to put together a baseball team, eschewing scouting conventions.

There is a lot to appreciate here. In addition to being a gorgeous looking film that is staged with spectacular sports-film tension, it also boasts great performances from Pitt, Chris Pratt, and even Jonah Hill in an uncommonly subdued role.

And as much as this is about the innerworkings of baseball off the field, it is also a look at working fathers and the effect their careers can have on their families. Moneyball is closer to a home run than a strike out.