by Brian Kesler
Aaron Sorkin seems to have a thing for informative, mathematical, true stories about smart people - with unfailingly sharp dialogue - changing the world with arrogance and self-righteousness. That's the screenplay he wrote for David Fincher's 'The Social Network' - based on a book which is based on life - and that's the screenplay he wrote for Bennett Miller's 'Moneyball' - based on a book which is based on life. Miller made an explosive directorial debut with 'Capote,' and this film continues his natural talent for direction.
As you probably know, 'Moneyball' tells the story of the failing baseball team, the A's, and their incredible 20 game winning streak due to an unconventional business tactic made by the team's general manager, and a former player, Billy Beane. Beane is played by Brad Pitt. The inspiration comes from a young, awkward kid fresh out of Yale. Peter Brand, who becomes the assistant general manager. Brand is played by Jonah Hill. It's an unusual pairing. Pitt has dropped the young action star attitude and has turned, in recent years, to more sophisticated projects, like 'Inglorious Basterds,' and 'The Tree of Life.' Hill, on the other hand is known exclusively as a top-notch comedian in R-Rated Judd Apatow movies. But, for whatever reason, the pairing works. Pitt and Hill play off each other with precision. Pitt holds his own as a comedian against Hill, and Hill - as is the case with most comedians - makes for a fine dramatic actor.
Sorkin can't take full credit for the screenplay, as Steven Zaillian is also listed. Zaillian, known for 'Schindler's List' and 'Gangs of New York,' brings a certain dimension to Beane's back-story that is anything but ambiguous. On the one hand, it makes for nice character study. On the other hand, as is always the case with back stories, the younger actor - Reed Thompson - is obviously a completely different person than Brad Pitt. I know I'll probably be on my own with this one, but it is a genuine pet peeve of mine. I don't like flashbacks. I don't like two adult actors trying to pass as younger/older versions of each other - especially when they're in such a close age proximity. It pulls me out of my absorption of the story and makes me realize the artificiality of the movie. I would've liked, perhaps, a more mysterious, less detailed account of Beane's back story. Brand and Beane talk about it plenty. That would have sufficiently brought dimension and weight to Beane as a character.
That is just about my one complaint. The film is beautifully paced, thanks to editor Christopher Tellefsen, who worked with Miller on 'Capote'; and well photographed, thanks to cinematographer Wally Pfister, who made our hair stand up with his deliciously grotesque photography in 'The Dark Knight.' The soundtrack is nearly perfect - it is not overloaded with score, thank God - and gives us a sense of character, emotionality, and atmosphere.
The actors are all terrific. Aside from Pitt and Hill, we have Philip Seymour Hoffman - who is always intriguing and enriching to observe - Robin Wright, and Chris Pratt. Not to mention Kerris Dorsey, who plays Pitt's daughter. With such natural talent for acting and a killer singing voice, this girl's got a great career ahead of her. IMDb also lists Spike Jonez in the cast list, but I never saw him. I might see the film again, just to be on the lookout.
'Moneyball,' is a great movie. It's inspirational, but not cloyingly so. It goes beyond being a sports movie. It's about people giving everything they have for what they believe in. It's about taking risks. It's a movie about people who are sick of things being run the way they've always been. It's about provoking change, as well as the resistance to change. As we see the difficulties Beane and Brand underwent in trying to get people to help change the system, it seems only too paralleled to the current political climate, and Barack Obama's unfortunate failing in fulfilling his initial mission: change. No matter how much you advertise for it, there will always be resistance. Beane still faces rebuttal. The A's may have had a winning streak, but they eventually lost. Losing does not make people enthusiastic about change.
.' This will make the third time I've seen the film, and it gets more omnipotent with each viewing. In fact, 
's
definitive science fiction film is among the few movies that I refuse
to consider opposing opinions over. It is brilliant. The end. Dislike it
if you will. Scorn it if you must. Defile it and call its director a
hack. Whatever suits you. But you can not refute its genius. 
' had an unconventional start. 
,'
knew the plot was too cold, sporadic, and avant-garde for a studio
executive to take a screenplay seriously. So, he hired famed science
fiction writer 
to pen a 
and used it to sell the premise, and gain a big budget to boot. This
was a brilliant strategy. A book, even with such an unusual premise, is
still dependent on narrative which, in the case of this particular 
famously walked out of the premiere during the man-ape sequences, saying, "Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?"
(which has become almost known exclusively as the theme for the film),
and what I like to call the "space ballet" sequence which runs about ten
minutes and continues later on for another ten or fifteen minutes. In
the second half of the film we have the famous shots of 
' became the biggest box office success of its time. In 1968, the same director, same producer, and 
released '
'
and it flopped wildly. America had changed, the political atmosphere
was shifting. The turn-a-blind-eye philosophy had come to a close and
the youth of America demanded more openness and honesty. '
,' and '
,'
were the last of big Hollywood pictures. Movies became chock-full of
intellectualism, liberalism, hippies, youth, drugs, sex. '
' had a soundtrack completely made up of cerebral pop music. '
' had no story. The rules were being bent. '
,' as well as '
.'
And yet, it stands entirely apart from those films. I will be so bold
as to say that it is the most ambitious American film ever made. 
' and '
,'
I've never seen a film more referenced in music, television, cartoons,
youtube, and other movies. I'm often one of the few who catches and
appreciates them. Let's face it, '
,'
it is a movie that will never dissipate. It will always remain with
those who've seen it as one of the most unique and fulfilling
experiences in movie history.