'Moneyball'

'Moneyball' (PG-13) (4 STARS) (Highest Rating)

Writers: Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian based on the book by Michael Lewis
Director: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Kerris Dorsey, Chris Pratt

There is a brilliantly acted, directed and written scene in the new baseball movie "Moneyball" that is an example of why this movie is great. It is the last day before the baseball trading deadline. The General Manager of the Oakland A's Billy Beane is trying to trade some star players for cheaper, lesser known players. The speed, wittiness and execution of this scene of just talking on the phone is more fun and suspenseful than scenes in most action thrillers these days. For a movie that deals with baseball stats and strategy this is easily one of the most exciting movies of the year!

The power of that scene is also due to one of the best performances of the year by Brad Pitt as Beane. Equal to Pitt in what will be an under rated performance is Jonah Hill as Beane's assistant GM Peter Brand. "Moneyball" is based on the book of the same name and is about the 2002 Oakland A's. That was the season that Billy Beane became the GM of the A's and unloaded a lot of expensive and great players, dumped a lot of payroll and aquired cheaper players. With the help of Brand, who he steals away from the Cleveland Indians, he comes up with a new way to aquire good players that others have given up on. Brand is a genius with getting good players by exploring smaller stats like on base percentage. The result is a team that started to win, surprised baseball experts and changed the way the game was played.

"Moneyball" is a fascinating movie that hooks us right from the first frame. I have never seen a baseball movie that captivates us just by talking about baseball. The movie starts out with a brillant scene where Beane talks to all his scouts in a meeting. The scouts are really concerned in how they will replace stars like Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon. Beane is not worried because he feels that star players don't really guarantee winning. This is the first of many compelling scenes and the movie keeps up the greatness till the last frame. The movie is written by two masters of dialogue Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian and this is the best screenplay of 2011 so far. Sorkin alone now has written the two best screenplays of the last two years with this and last year's "The Social Network".

The writing is smart and the dialogue is fascinating and even subplots like Beane's relationship with his daughter are deep and well played. This is not your typical baseball movie but it is one of the best written baseball movies I have ever seen. The movie does not give us a lot of basball action but there is an amazing and thrilling sequence in the movie. It is the point of the movie where the new and improved A's are flirting with history and a 20 game winning streak. This is a powerful and highly effective segment of the movie and it it extremely exciting and suspenseful. This movie never bored me and I love how the movie impresses us with dialogue instead of hokey, cliched, dramatic baseball scenes.

The acting from the leads to all the supporting actors are magnificent. The director is Bennett Miller and Miller is now two for two in creating masterpieces with sublime acting. He made his debut with the fascinating and powerful "Capote". He just lets the screenplay breathe and he never hits a false note in creating momentum and intrigue. Brad Pitt gives what is probably his most well rounded and complete performance of his career so far. With his work here and in this year's "Tree of Life" he is marking his territory as one of our best movie stars and actors. Equally great is Jonah Hill who works off Pitt so well, they have an amazing chemistry here.

I also love the deadpan performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Manager Art Howe and the sweet and touching performance by Kerris Dorsey as Beane's daughter Casey. The scenes with father and daughter are touching, funny, sweet and subtle. There is a lot of funny moments, funny dialogue and baseball strategy and talk that sounds real. I have not read the book but this movie knows what it is talking about. This is the best baseball movie that has ever dealt with the strategy and logic of the game. Sorkin and Zaillian have obviously done their homework for they now have written one of the 5 best baseball movies I have seen.

"Moneyball" I guarantee will please people who love basbeball, I don't see how it can't. It is an adult movie that takes it's time to give us a smart story that also entertains us immensely. I do beat this dead horse a lot but it reminds me of a movie you would see in the 70's, the greatest era of movie making that there ever was in my opinion. Brad Pitt is doing what George Clooney is doing now, becoming one of our best liked movie stars. Also director Bennett Miller with this and "Capote" is a major new force in film making and I can't wait to see his next movie. "Moneyball" is an incredibly fun, compelling and entertaining movie that will become a new baseball movie classic.