Moneyball

[redcarpetrefs]

We own a site that is very unique and we also work with gofobo but we have three reviewers that watch the same movie and give a short and quick review of what they thought. So theres always more then one opinion but this is what we said about "MoneyBall"! And check us out if you like redcarpetrefs.com

Tim: I thought Moneybag was a fantastic movie. The storyline was so well built, inside and out. The acting was amazing. Just as expected, Brad Pitt was flawless; he did an amazing job portraying the needed seriousness in his role. Jonah Hill also did an amazing job, which caught me a little by surprise. He usually plays the goofy character, but he had no problem changing into a more serious role (with some humor mixed in). I don’t want to ruin the ending, but all I’m going to say is I loved it. If you’re into sports movies, this one is for you. Rating: Watch it now!

Matt: The movie was good but nothing special to me. Yes, the acting was good and the story was inspirational, but it was kind of the same old, same old to me. I’ve seen all the inspirational sport movies, and it’s just another one like that. Brad Pitt did a great job playing his role, no complaints about him. Jonah Hill did okay. I’ve really never been a fan of him because his acting is always the same, but he did well enough to make it believable. I’m a strong believer about a movie being different and unique to be a great movie, but this one falls short of that. All and all, this movie was just okay. Rating: Wait for DVD!

Kristin: This movie was definitely enjoyable but wasn’t fantastic. One thing that saved this movie was Brad Pitt. He was amazing and did a great job portraying his role. There were some exciting moments but honestly baseball, in general, is not too exciting. Some parts dragged on and there was a lot of baseball talk (which I don’t care about) and the storyline was a little disoriented. I really felt like they relied on big actors to make this movie great. If you really don’t like or understand the game, or how a baseball team analyzes their statistics, this movie is definitely not for you. Rating: Watch on DVD!

[PJ_Movies]

but honestly baseball, in general, is not too exciting. Some parts dragged on and there was a lot of baseball talk (which I don’t care about)

This sums it up for me. One of the major reasons I chose Contagion last weekend (which by the way was a mistake).

[Momloveyou]

I like the movie of which storyline was so well built, inside and out, just like what you said.

[Yoda]

So, yeah...I waited a month and a half to actually watch this, then another few weeks to actually get around to writing a review. Timely, eh? Anyway, here it is. Good flick, and I enjoyed writing about its broader themes. The book was about a heck of a lot more than baseball, and I was really pleased than the film recognized that, and captured it.

Moneyball

http://www.movieforums.com/images/main/moneyball_main.png (http://www.movieforums.com/reviews/moneyball.html)

Nothing changes until it does. And up until that point, it often seems like the universe itself has conspired to stop it from changing. But "there is nothing as powerful"—an old Victor Hugo quote goes—"as an idea whose time as come." Moneyball is about one of those ideas....READ MORE

4

[The Prestige]

Why did this guy get neg repped for reviewing a film? Is it because he plugged his website?

[Yoda]

I forget the specifics, but something like that, yeah.

[Powdered Water]

Saw this this week and would love to see it get a Best Picture nom. Wonderful film. Maybe a little too niche oriented to garner a nom? Maybe, maybe not. Very good stuff though. Brad Pitt, it appears, can do anything.

EDIT: Oh, and great review Yoder.

[Arequipa]

This movie was A Toast for me!
Verdict: Regardless of your level of interest in baseball, Pitt and crew will knock your socks off. Look for the cast’s smiling faces at the 2012 Academy Awards.

[Popcorn and Candy]

This isn't a baseball movie, so don't let that put you off to it. (Although it shouldn't anyway, who doesn't like baseball movies?) The conflict lies in Beane and his past, not whether his team wins or not. I loved how authentic the drama was.

[DexterRiley]

Finally got around to watching this last night, and while over-all i'd give it a 3.5, there were a couple of issues that irked me some.

The first was the overuse of the great sports movie stand-by..The Montage. While i undertsand a good deal of it was necessary to successfully adapt what was pretty dry source material, there were a few instances that imo deserved scenes of their own. I am speaking specifically of Jonah Hill in the weight room explaining to the players the method to the madness ie manipulating the opps pitch counts and the like. Perhaps the scenes from which the montage bits were extrapolated will appear on the DVD deleted scenes section(i watched it via VOD).

The second thing was the daughters ditty sounded an awful lot like the annoying credit score guys jingle, which probably irked me more that it should have, but whatcha gonna do eh.

[Yoda]

:rotfl:

Love the credit score thing. Nice.

I agree about the montage. It was particularly bad for me because I actually like the stathead stuff, and that was their way of sort of summarizing it for the less-stathead-y. I get why they did it that way, and it probably makes it a better overall movie than one where they actually talk about it in-depth, but I missed some of that. But yeah, I really thought we might have ourselves a non-montage sports movie for a minute there...

[Skepsis93]

I enjoyed it. Jonah Hill was a revelation. 4

[DexterRiley]

But yeah, I really thought we might have ourselves a non-montage sports movie for a minute there...

Well it was a chick flick for guys in a sense, which was the tactic i used to get my wife to get onboard for this. (my other possibility was to mention the notebook before suggesting the ides of march, but she instinctively hates Clooney movies that i chat up ever since i hoodwinked her into going to see Syriana :laugh: but i digress)

Seymour-Hoffman nailed the role of Art Howe, though i suspect his portrayal was more of a device to ground the story rather than a re-creation of events that actually happened. Which i'm ok with btw, the genre of based on true story has a long history of fudgen the facts to fit the narrative after all.

Speaking of which, the scene with Beane and David Justice in the batting cage probably never occured, yet rang true as well. Pitt's delivery sold it for me.

Hill has been lauded a great deal as much because the role is a break from his usual seth rogen jr mode, but imo thats the only aspect thats noteworthy.

This is No doubt about it Pitts showcase, and am really happy the producers didnt take the easy route and use hollywood makeup tricks to make him look less photogenic. There were a few times where i caught myself thinking i watching a documentary almost. The scenes of the round-table of scouts had a very real fly-on-the-wall eavesdropping feel, which was essential.

one last note, Jack McGee is fast becoming the old white guy version of Luis Guzman for me.

http://0.tqn.com/d/movies/1/0/m/N/U/scream200969.jpg

He's popping up in the thankless character roles that JT Walsh used to get cast for.

[cinemaafficionado]

So, yeah...I waited a month and a half to actually watch this, then another few weeks to actually get around to writing a review. Timely, eh? Anyway, here it is. Good flick, and I enjoyed writing about its broader themes. The book was about a heck of a lot more than baseball, and I was really pleased than the film recognized that, and captured it.

Nice review, by the way. The thing is that things do change. Those opposed to conventional widom do have to go through a brick wall but every now and then someone makes it, as is the case with stats over scouts in this movie. The ending of the movie is somewhat unlikely because the main character kind of contradicts himself. If he is all about winning and only as good as his last game, wouldn't he go with the team that best offers him that in the end?
But this movie is also about choices and values and sends a strong message that family is more important than money.

[thracian dawg]

The ending of the movie is somewhat unlikely because the main character kind of contradicts himself. If he is all about winning and only as good as his last game, wouldn't he go with the team that best offers him that in the end?

If we use Popcorn and Candy's analysis that the drama of Moneyball is all about Beane. Then the ending does make sense, he choices quality of life---a relationship with his daughter rather than moving away to another city and becoming a celebrity manager.

[cinemaafficionado]

If we use Popcorn and Candy's analysis that the drama of Moneyball is all about Beane. Then the ending does make sense, he choices quality of life---a relationship with his daughter rather than moving away to another city and becoming a celebrity manager.

Yeah, but he got divorced and spent the last how many years living to win that trophy and was just given another opportunity, after having failed twice, knowing that the quality of his current team will never again make it there, not even make a tri peat play off ,and also being given the most money of any GM, which by the way could also improve his family life. That's what frequent flyer miles are all about. He didn't even live with his daughter but was just a weekend dad, so it wouldn't make that much of a difference. Something about his choice to abandon all that just doesn't make sense. Did his raison d'etre just cease to exist and now it's all about the daughter? I find it hard to believe.

[Yoda]

I think the problem is assuming that it was just about winning in the abstract; in reality, it was about proving a point. The underlying drive was demonstrating that the old guard didn't know what they were doing. He achieved that, and he wouldn't have if he'd succeeded with a big-market club.

Whether or not you think it makes sense, it actually happened. Can't argue that reality isn't realistic enough.

[tomas12343]

Oh men,that movie blew my mind! Not because of it's script (I don't care about baseball) but the performances and especially Brad's where astounding!

[DexterRiley]

Whether or not you think it makes sense, it actually happened. Can't argue that reality isn't realistic enough.

Thats a great point. The Wahlberg flick Invinceable received alot of the same criticism.

Truth really is stranger than fiction.

[TheUsualSuspect]

I honestly have no idea what version of this film I saw, but it seemed to be missing a lot of crucial parts. First, there was never any scene with his wife (Penn) or his daughter. Hoffman only had one scene where he talks about his one year contract and the entire flow of the film seemed off.

I watched it on TMN, The Movie Network, which usually has everything uncut. It was advertised as 133 minutes, but the film itself was only 90 or so. I didn't realize this until I looked on imdb and saw that Robin Wright Penn was suppose to be in the movie, then things started to click.

Damn shame.

[Yoda]

Yeah, that sounds cut to shreds. Hoffman has several scenes and we definitely meet his wife. Bummer.

[Powderfinger]

4 I don't know much about baseball, though it was interesting. I like the guy out of (knocked up) I forget him name, though the character went to the Boston Red Sox I believe?

[Powderfinger]

Robin Wright Penn was suppose to be in the movie, then things started to click.


Jenny!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usmb_UCiNGk

[Watcher545]

I have never watched a game of baseball in my life and loved this film.
Brad Pit was great Jonah Hill was even better.

[GrahamBlake1984]

Moneyball is a film I have not heard much about. Not being a baseball fan it never really interested me, and when it was suggested to me to watch this, I was slightly reluctant, as I thought it would just be another generic american sports movie. I was wrong.


This movie is about a struggling baseball team with no money, who cannot compete with the bigger teams, who can splash out on players with big money. Brad Pitt plays the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane, and Jonah Hill plays his assistant Peter Brand.


Now I will let you know I have no idea about how baseball works, but it isn't necessary to enjoy this film. It is more about what goes on behind the scenes as opposed to what goes on in the game.


So the story is Beane loses his best players, and after being disappointed with his scouts and the general way in the teams recruitment strategy, he brings in Brand who works out the game of baseball using facts and figures, and looks at players stats, to work out a formula of how to win matches, and how best to utilise players, a strategy that nobody in baseball agrees with.


Under the guidance of Brand, Beane brings in a bunch of misfits and has-beens on a shoe string budget, and the team are immediately written off. One top of that the coach refuses to uses Beane and Brands' methods during games, which result in a terrible losing streak. After Beane forces the coaches hand be selling the players he is using, he is forced to follow Beane, and the team make a remarkable run of 20 games unbeaten.


You don't see an awful lot of baseball action, but as this is based on a true story the baseball footage you do see is actual footage from the games themselves (as this is a true story).


Brad Pitt is excellent in the role of Beane and I was surprised at Jonah Hills performance in a serious role, he does a good job, and less annoying than I would have thought he would have been.


It is the story that drives this movie as opposed to the sport and it is certainly inspirational. What makes this movie stand out is that it is alot more character driven than other sports movies with less sports action, but it is great to watch the drama unfold from behind the scenes.


What makes this movie great is that it is a true story and these events did take place, even if they may be dramatised, knowing that the events are true make it even more inspirational.


This was a great movie which I really enjoyed. I would recommend it to anyone, even if your not a sports fan in general you will still enjoy this.

[misterscratchy]

I watched Moneyball last night just because i like Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
Good movie.
I didnt even know it was true untill the credits at the end.
Great actors at theyre best.

[Daniel M]

I watched this film last year sometime, though it was really good, watched it again recently and I really do think this is a great film. It's a film about baseball, a sport which I have no interest in, but had me gripped from start to finish.

Moneyball (Bennett Miller, 2011) 4.5


http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Admin/BkFill/Default_image_group/2011/11/23/1322071748967/Brad-Pitt-in-Moneyball.-007.jpg


It's about getting things down to one number. Using the stats the way we read them, we'll find value in players that no one else can see. People are overlooked for a variety of biased reasons and perceived flaws. Age, appearance, personality. Bill James and mathematics cut straight through that. Billy, of the 20,000 notable players for us to consider, I believe that there is a championship team of twenty-five people that we can afford, because everyone else in baseball undervalues them. I will start off by saying that Brad Pitt is definitely one of my favourite modern actors, he's not just a good looking decent talent, he is a fantastic actor who makes great choices in his films, with a good mixture of popular and less-popular, but great films, he's appeared in a very interesting bag of films since 2000 and as such as gained a lot of respect from me, apart from this I'm talking about Inglourious Bastards, The Tree of Life, Killing Them Softly, Burn After Reading, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Babel, even Snatch. I haven't seen all of those films listed, but not many actors would have taken on such a variety of films and directors.

And speaking of great modern actors there's Philip Seymour Hoffman in a relatively small role as the team coach, Art Howe, his character doesn't have any 'spectacular' scenes but Hoffman offers a dislikeable character to contrast with the two we are cheering on, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, the latter proving he's not just some dumb comedy actor, excelling in this dramatic role. It doesn't look like Hill's great performance has gone unnoticed either, he recently appeared in the 2012 hit Django Unchained (albeit a comedic role) but perhaps even more impressively got the chance to work with Martin Scorsese in his upcoming film, The Wolf of Wall Street.

What makes Moneyball such a great film is pretty much a combination of what I have spoke about before, it's intelligent in the way the story is told in the fact that no baseball knowledge is required before hand, this is a film about humans and their lives, the choices they make, their jobs and responsibilities, we see a young economic graduate tell a number of ageing scouts that the job they've been doing for thirty years is wrong and we see the team coach being forced into decisions he would never make in his own mind with his job under pressure, even though he's not a likeable character, we can understand the struggle he faces.

Ultimately the film is a lot about the struggle and challenges people face in life, and as part of this we see flashbacks from Billy Beane's (Brad Pitt) earlier life as a baseball player turned scout, his personal life and history plays a part in his character, each character has their own reasoning and motives for the decisions they make, the conflicting of characters and policies makes the film even more rewarding when we watch the strategy work. Emotionally the film works out like many underdog films that we have watched time and time before, except we're not cheering the underdog team, but the underdog 'belief', an idea that triumphs down to perseverance, with hard choices having to be made on the way.

The film works because it's a true story, when the underdog battles and triumphs we feel joy, and also sorry for Billy Beane who whichever way you look at it has changed the face of a sport entirely (at least in the context of the film, but I believe in real life too), there is a scene towards the end that acts as a brilliant metaphor for the accomplishment of Beane, Brand (Hill) and 'Moneyball' as an idea, where we see a player unknowingly score a home run as he struggles to complete his run, Beane is pessimistic and understandably so, we feel a personal triumph for his character who I felt a great connection and affection for during the film.

[wmelania]

I recently saw Moneyball and thought the movie was quite great. The storyline is intriguing to say the least and though a lot of people already know the plot the movie made it come to life. The cast was great and specifically Jonah Hill, who usually does a great job in comedies, should get nominated for best supporting actor in it. It is nice to see him make a switch to a non-comedic role and I am sure this will greatly help his acting career.