A Reel Review: MONEYBALL

MONEYBALL will without a doubt go down in history as one of the most unique sports films ever made. It spends very little time on the playing field, and does most of its business behind-the-scenes; following not the players but the General Managers, owners and scouts as they wheel and deal players like used cars as they try to build a winning team. Despite the heavy baseball jargon, it is still remarkably entertaining and engaging. It is reminiscent of Oliver Stone’s WALL STREET; no matter how unfamiliar the viewer may be to the thick baseball lingo, they will still know when drama is upon them.

Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is the General Manager of the Oakland A’s; a cash-strapped team who just had three of their best players leave for greener pastures. Becoming frustrated with the traditional methods of acquiring new players, Beane recruits Peter (Jonah Hill), a number-crunching genius who analyzes and picks players according to obscure statistics. Beane’s new strategy brings players to his team that no one wants (an island of misfit toys), and draws the ire of the A’s fans and strict defiance from his Manager Art Howe (Phillip Seymour-Hoffman).

MONEYBALL spends a lot of time deconstructing the game. The bulk of the film is spent in the meeting rooms and offices, exposing the mindsets and strategies that go towards building professional ballclubs. It may seem boring on the surface (a sports movie that spends all of its time in an office?), but good drama is to be found here. Also keeping things running is Billy Beane’s personal story. Beane, who was once a bright prospect as a player out of high school, is driven to succeed as a General Manager to make up for his failures in his past. It works, and his backstory is smartly weaved into the main narrative by way of smart flashbacks that parallel his current predicaments. It makes for a great story of redemption.

Director Bennett Miller gets outstanding performances from all involved. Pitt slides comfortably into the role as if he was the man himself. Hill, who has made a career out of making stupid movies, also excels and proves that he has more to offer than comedic crap. Seymour-Hoffman’s role is a small one, but he still manages to steal nearly every scene he’s in. There are a couple of confrontations between Seymour-Hoffman and Pitt that are acting gems.

Somewhat-based on a true story, MONEYBALL is smartly edited with archival TV footage that gives it a docu-drama feel. It keeps up its uniqueness by not having a Big Game or Final Showdown that typical Hollywood sports films tend to cling to. What makes it really work is that a fondness or even basic understanding of the game is needed to enjoy this.

BOTTOM LINE: See it