Moneyball

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 sports-themed film in years. It doesn't matter if you understand baseball or have a relationship with the sport itself, Sorkin's brilliant (again) script is all about passion for the cause, boundless faith in one's own judgement and in what one is doing, despite the risk of losing one's credit. The interactions between Pitt and Hill are a joy to watch. All this without annoying clichés and fake spectacular scenes that would make a stone cry (see e.g. Warrior). (20.01.2012)

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)

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)

Statistics are boring, but carry valuable information and in the form of a baseball version of The Social Network, it isn’t boring at all. This is as much about baseball as Fincher is about Facebook; in other words, not at all. Despite this, this category is still ruled by The Damned United which is basically the same in a more inventive form of directing and, thanks to the setting, is also a little closer in cultural terms for a European. (01.12.2011)

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)

A year after the world applauded Sorkin's screenplay for The Social Network, another story full of rapid-fire dialogues, technical terms, and a suppression of obvious emotions to a minimum came. Although comparing Facebook to baseball is difficult, this calculated approach and, in the case of the author, this quick bet on certainty already undermines Moneyball from the very beginning. And even though it looks almost effortless in its technically precise environment and occasional family scenes can work, I didn't get enough of it. I understand the pursuit of exceptionalism and the desire for a forgotten dream, but the film remains halfway between a love confession for sports statistics and a demonstration that being a general manager is no joke. Precise 70%, especially for one of Brad Pitt's career performances. (22.02.2012)

I don’t understand baseball, I don’t even like it (I only know the Red Sox because of Stephen Kind and Lost) and I doubt that this sport has any sense to it. I like baseball bats (for personal reasons), but that’s not enough to make me able to watch a movie about baseball. So, who did all the work, who made me like the movie? Brad Pitt, who plays a guy who keeps on losing, but keeps on trying, makes bad decisions, knows that but still he keeps on trying until he takes a last, desperate step and starts to listen to a fat accountant. Perfect dialogs, decent humor, excellent actors. It couldn’t have been filmed better, in my opinion. (18.12.2011)

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)

The final about half hour, when they “finally" started playing, almost didn't interest me anymore. Baseball is one of the sports that I know almost nothing about and actually don't want to know, so I guess it’s no wonder. I enjoyed most of Moneyball, though, because it wasn’t based on the players' game, but on the game of the actors (the unsurprisingly super Brad Pitt and very surprisingly super Jonah Hill) and on an elaborate screenplay that brought me into this strange world with confidence and ease and was able to entertain me well. (20.10.2020)

Although I hate baseball and its popularity overseas is a bloody mystery to me, I was very impressed by Moneyball and it even made me think more about the sport. Baseball, however, is here, as I read in every other comment, just an mandatory side motif (enhanced, moreover, by a real event) against the background of an emotional human story with a big idea that has nothing to do with hitting a ball. It's a story about the tremendous strength and will of an individual, enhanced both by precise and sensitive direction, and above all by Pitt's outstanding performance, which this time easily outshines everything else in the film. And it's also a real-life drama, as evidenced by the absence of a celebratory happy ending at the expense of a civil and emotionally compelling one. This just worked out well :-) 4,5* (27.06.2013)

Even though I have already seen the film "The Artist", I still think that Brad Pitt deserves the Oscar for Best Male Performance for the year 2011, specifically for the film "Moneyball". Do you like baseball? No? Well, I'm not a fan either, who regularly watches matches. I've only seen a few in my life, but when you watch American movies, you simply can't avoid at least hearing about baseball. For many Americans, it is the number one sport. Children grow up with their dad throwing them a ball, not just throwing it, but throwing a baseball and catching it with a baseball glove. Baseball is a sport but also a business. Some teams simply cannot afford to buy good (expensive) players, and that is why the "Moneyball" system was created - "buy faulty goods, maybe something will come out of it". Brad Pitt plays the manager of a team that relies on this technique. Yes, it is based on true events and characters, and yes, it is an excellent film that is definitely worth it. Brad Pitt is absolutely magnificent in the role, whether as a tactical manager or a loving father. I don't seek out sports movies, but this one was just great in the cinema. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/05/9-umelec-diktator-nacho-libre-rise.html (19.02.2013)

Moneyball has a lot to offer and it really shows in the result. There really was really nothing to work with in writing the script here; working on this film requires sensibility and a huge amount of information, which Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin have managed to pull together admirably. I don't like baseball, I don't watch baseball, and I don't really care about baseball as a sport. So I can't quite understand why I felt a pleasant tension and was terribly excited to break out the first game under the new strategy. Perhaps this can be attributed to the excellently constructed storyline, the intelligent and rich dialogue, the brilliant Pitt and Hill, or the simple fact that the filmmakers managed to present baseball in perhaps the most enjoyable and imaginative way. An (un)believable piece of honest filmmaking. (11.01.2012)

I like sports-themed films, even if I don't really understand the sport they deal with. Moneyball attracts audiences with a stellar cast and a quite interesting theme inspired by the real-life story of baseball player and manager Billy Beane. Despite the undeniable qualities of the film, I have to admit that I found myself looking at my watch quite often, wondering when it would be over. Maybe it would be different with a shorter runtime, but I'm not sure. Even Brad Pitt didn't impress me with his acting. (65%) (24.10.2020)