Moneyball

"Moneyball" B+

Brad Pitt has been making some really good movies lately. Of course, he is one of the most famous actors in Hollywood, and why not? He does know how to act in many different movie genres. His standout performances were in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Inglourious Basterds. In Moneyball, he plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's at that time and how he introduced a whole different mathematical approach to baseball. His assistant, played by Jonah Hill (in a serious performance), helps him on the graphical and statistical analysis of the game. Basically, what he does is he shows the batting averages of all the players, along with the strike zone and how often people swing in certain areas and strike out or hit home runs. The movie is based on a book by Michael Lewis, who also wrote The Blind Side and The Big Short, so I knew that this movie was going to have a lot of research and statistics involved in the storytelling. Brad Pitt does a good job adding charisma and seriousness to the role, especially when spending time with his daughter and trying to win a World Series game. The movie is funny and has some dramatic moments too. There are some exciting baseball scenes and some recognnizable names come up, such as David Justice. However, the movie really isn't about the game itself, but more of the business and financial side of the Major Leagues, which was interesting to me. Overall, it is a good movie that I think everyone can enjoy.