Moneyball

The Social Network meets baseball. Without knowing the name of the (co-) screenwriter in advance, I read Sorkin's work in it. It is once again irreconcilable, reckless, verbose (towards the subject), at times coldly distant, yet full of respect for the "solitaire" who will change the world (of baseball). Enjoyment of the film will increase exponentially with the viewer's awareness of the game as such. But even if you know as much about baseball as I do, there are still a lot of lively-written and well-acted characters whose relationships and communication entice. The film didn't seem all that rational to me (I didn't understand it in detail), but emotionally it just works (at times, surprisingly, and I don't know why, the adult infantile relationship between Billy and his daughter evoked Coppola’s Nowhere). Moreover, apart from a few cliche slow-motion parts, I have to appreciate how spartan the whole thing is. No ultimate feel-good. Just "daddy, you’re such a loser"... A remarkable testimony about how things can be changed and (again) a film that is about a rebellion against those who say that there is no other way. Coincidence? You decide. :-) (15/11/2011)

Brilliant. I enjoy the hell out of these sports biopic dramas, whether it's basketball (Hustle), tennis (King Richard and Borg/Mcenroe, skiing (Eddie the Eagle), figure skating (I Tonya), car racing (Le Mans 66 and Rush). Mow I'm adding baseball to the collection thanks to Moneyball. I'm also one of those who will probably never understand the game, but that doesn't matter here, the sport itself doesn't matter that much, as it is about the behind the scenes of managers and player trading, which I surprisingly enjoyed – selling people in a different way. The whole idea of putting together a team of players that no one trusts just based on computer stats is awesome. Brad Pitt is excellent as usual, Jonah Hill is also fine, and they carry the film. The well-written dialogue, a few unexpected twists, the great direction and a thrilling finale make this a nice piece of filmmaking as well as an entertaining sports movie. Really great. 8/10. (07/07/2022)

Very smart and cleverly directed, without unnecessary arrogance and artificially heightened emotions. A bit reminiscent of Any Given Sunday, but far less controversial. It must be said that Moneyball also relies on its actors, especially on Brad Pitt (he’s ageing like fine wine) and the young Jonah Hill (excellent potential). I lacks drive, but it's not that they forgot about it, it simply wasn't part of the plan. An unconventional sports film. (29/01/2012)

Moneyball is a fantastically original and cleverly written, brilliantly directed story about inspiration and good intensions. I don’t care for baseball, but the message of this work rings true for any field – trust your instincts, follow your own path and don’t sell yourself short. Why didn’t Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian set this behind the scenes in the world of filmmaking, which also relies on teamwork? That would have secured them some Oscars for sure. But that might happen anyway. (01/01/2012)

The best and most entertaining baseball film I’ve ever seen. Before watching it, I wasn’t expecting it to deliver a great experience because baseball is all Dutch to me, but the fears were unwarranted. Brad Pitt’s great performance and the equally great script didn’t allow my attention to stray away. Thumbs up and I’m rooting for Brad at the Oscars. (16/12/2011)