" It's an unfair game "

Moneyball

In 2002 the Oakland Athletics baseball club had the lowest salary cap in the league, with the loss of three key players the season has all but ended before it even started. General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) finds himself in a seemingly impossible situation as he can't afford the logical replacements to fill the vacant spots. Beane meets and hires an interesting executive called Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who uses statistical data to analyse player statistics and value their true worth. Beane adopts Brand's method of choosing players and in turn creates a sort of 'misfit' team that he believes has the potential to win the World Series. The model adopted by Beane and Brand radically changes how players are valued, causing baseball clubs across the nation to take notice.

Moneyball is based on the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game written by Michael Lewis who also wrote; The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game which inspired the movie; The Blind Side. There is no doubt this is an amazing story and one that deserves to be told. For some the story might have been followed in real life but I came into the film with a blank slate as I don't follow baseball and wasn't aware of the events during the 2002 season. Working with Lewis were screenwriters Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, who are two of the best known screenwriters working in Hollywood today. The entire writing team along with director Bennett Miller (Capote) have successfully brought this film to life, making for a refreshingly modern sports drama, where the characters and events can still be followed today.

Billy Beane has a very charismatic personality and comes across as a loyal and dedicated manager of his club as he invests his time and emotion into every game. One of the more intruiging aspects to his character is the superstitious rituals he has such as not watching the games live. Throughout the film we learn more about Beane's own baseball career, which in itself is equally as intriguing and compelling as the main story arc. Beane is portrayed excellently by Pitt in one of his best performances to date, and I really thought it was his year for the Oscar. Unfortunately he missed out yet again but seeing as though he seems to get better each year it's only a matter of time now.

The other main characters include executive Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) and stubborn coach of the A's Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The only negative I have from this film is the amount of time given to the supporting cast. Hoffman was barely in the film at all and given Hill's Oscar nomination I had high expectations for his performance. Hill still delivered a strong performance and was deserving of his nomination, however I felt he could have been given a larger role especially since his character was largely dramatised from the real life Oakland A's executive Paul DePodesta. DePodesta didn't want to be named in the film and as a result he was changed to the character of Peter Brand, meaning the character of Brand isn't an accurate depiction of DePodesta's role at the club or his personality. There is also an excellent cameo like appearance form well known director Spike Jonze who plays the socially awkward partner of Beane's ex-wife Sharon (Robin Wright).

One thing I learnt from this film is how cut throat the sport of baseball is. Players are traded constantly throughout the season as managers continually try to make deals and bargain in an attempt to improve their list. By having the option to see negotiations that usually take place behind closed doors, you were able to see firsthand the stress placed on the managers and players and in turn develop a sense of sympathy for them. Whether it was Beane at risk of his losing his job or one of the many players that were traded out during the year there's no doubt that baseball is a competitive sport.

A major theme throughout the film is the sense of romance that is associated with the sport of baseball. Whether its a player getting a second chance to prove himself or one of the poorest teams in the league turning the tables on the rest of the competition, it's hard not to get drawn into the emotion of the sport. I think the idea of romance and baseball is an ideal that most can relate to and can be applied to many different sports. One thing that is common in all forms of sport is that fans will be passionate and loyal towards their team no matter what.

The film focuses on the inner workings of the club as much as the games themselves, showcasing what is actually involved in a game of baseball. For viewers that are hesitant to watch the film as they don't like baseball or don't understand the sport don't worry as you don't need to understand or even like baseball to enjoy this film. Moneyball is a compelling story with Pitt is at his best leading the way. Sure there are some cheesy moments but I believe this film will be remembered as one of the greatest sports films of modern times.