Moneyball

Let's just be honest, not only is Brad Pitt a very attractive man, he's also a pretty darn good actor.  In Moneyball he doesn't disappoint. 

This film chronicles the 2001-2002 Oakland A's MLB team, a bottom market team, and their GM Billie Beane.  It's an amazing story because the Oakland A's challenged everything that baseball was in 2002.  It was a money game.  Those with most money always won, those without could have good streaks, but end up losing in the playoffs.  After losing three All-Star talent players, the A's GM created a team based on percentages (mostly OBP, on base percentage) and ended up putting a team together that, on paper, shouldn't have competed with anyone in the league, but went on a 20 game winning streak, won their division, and made the playoffs.  So obviously this is a good sports story.  What made it a good movie was Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill and how well they helped retell the story.  The best part of the movie is the end, when Billy Beane gets an offer from the Boston Red Sox for $12.5 million.  How could someone turn that down?  The problem with the offer is that it challenges the whole premise of the story: that money doesn't always mean wins, that there is a way to cheat the tradition baseball system where Boston and New York always win.  Billy turned down the offer and remains the GM for the Oakland A's.

Great story, great acting, great movie.  Must see.

Scarves: 4