Review of Moneyball (2011) by Trevor R — 26 Nov 2014

"Moneyball" is a terrific sports crowd-pleaser that deftly balances a kind of heist-movie like momentum early on with the sappier stuff you expect in an archetypal underdog movie (Because, as the characters note, how can you not be romantic about baseball?).

The old Sorkin go-to trick that boosts the main characters coolness by making the other characters around him look dorky is annoyingly utilized here (particularly in the out-of-place scene with his ex-wife's new husband), and perhaps the stuff with Billy's daughter gets a bit twee, but the whole thing is nicely paced and the real draw is the delightfully offbeat chemistry between Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. I also love the sparseness of the cinematography and score (the latter of which is only weakened when its pushed too hard, like during the "winning" montage. "Be inspired," it demands!). Great film.