As one of many girlfriends dragged to the theater to see Moneyball, I was obviously a little skeptical. Baseball? Don't think so. A lack of any sort of romantic story line whatsoever? You should have just left me at the concession stand (I can do some mean romancing on a large popcorn). I was gearing up my "aren't-you-embarrassed-you-picked-this-movie" jokes to tell my boyfriend, only to be silenced once the movie actually started. I was shocked. This thing is good. I mean, really good. I'll tell you why.
Directed by Bennett Miller, this film is a masterpiece in every sense. Following the story of baseball's infamous Billy Beane, the cinematography alone sets the stage for actors Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill to provide some of their best work yet.
Hill, who is frequently the protagonist in teenage-boy farces, takes this drama head-on and is as effortlessly Peter Brand as the man himself. Hill takes his comedic experience and shapes a character that is both likeable and memorable and is a subtle character foil to Billy's brazen impulsiveness.
Pitt, though definitely not reaching outside of his comfort zone, anchors the film and provides the depth and gravity needed for his role as Billy Beane. His scenes with Kerris Dorsey, who plays his daughter, Casey, are really what makes the film great. Dorsey's acoustic rendition of Lenka's "The Show" creates the most bittersweet, painfully realistic scene in the movie.
Hill, who is frequently the protagonist in teenage-boy farces, takes this drama head-on and is as effortlessly Peter Brand as the man himself. Hill takes his comedic experience and shapes a character that is both likeable and memorable and is a subtle character foil to Billy's brazen impulsiveness.
Pitt, though definitely not reaching outside of his comfort zone, anchors the film and provides the depth and gravity needed for his role as Billy Beane. His scenes with Kerris Dorsey, who plays his daughter, Casey, are really what makes the film great. Dorsey's acoustic rendition of Lenka's "The Show" creates the most bittersweet, painfully realistic scene in the movie.
While half of the theater was lit up with people Googling the ending to the movie on their iPhones (this is one of the few movies 100% based on a true story, after all), the film is suspenseful and engaging even to viewers who might already know the facts behind the story. Screenwriters Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zallian orchestrated a perfect balance between taught, electrified zingers and angst-ridden speeches while Billy wonders what's-it-all-about.
Penitent and remorseful for my first impression of Moneyball, I sat down recently and watched the DVD with all the special features and deleted scenes, and... you guessed it. They're good, too.
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