Directed by: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 133 minutes
Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Usually, I am not a fan of sports films in general but I was hoping this one would be different. It has high on every critic best of list for 2011 but this one will not be making my top 10 or top 50 for that matter. I found the film extremely slow moving but I was attracted by the fantastic acting. I also really enjoyed the extras provided on the Blu-ray release. The 1080p transfer looks good and extremely clear and The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track works well with the sports scenes for sure. If you are a fan of digital copies you also will appreciate the new Ultraviolet digital streaming copy which is included.
Brad Pitt gave a great performances as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Even Jonah Hill was good in the film, he was funny but also showed a little bit of dramatic side. The story follows a pretty much true story of the events after Beane’s (Pitt) team lost to the Yankees in the 2001, he attempts to develop a strategy for assembling a more competitive team for 2002. Due to issues with the teams budget he recruits Peter Brand (Hill), to aid him in this almost impossible task. Billy takes a chance with his re-development of the team and hopes that his bet pays off.
The special features on the Blu-ray are great but there is no commentary track anywhere to be found. There is a funny blooper called “Brad Loses It”, which is a riot. There are also over 10 minutes of deleted scenes, called “Billy Tells Art: Play Bradford”, “Tara and Billy Dinner”, and “Peter Offered GM Job”. The next feature is called “Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game” and it runs just over 15 minutes. It features the books author Michael Lewis, the film’s director Bennett Miller, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and Beane himself as they discuss the film and baseball in general. “Drafting the Team” is a 20 minute feature on the casting of the film. “Moneyball: Playing the Game” is a 20 minute feature about the film’s production and baseball scenes that were created for the movie. “Adapting Moneyball” focuses on the adaption of the book to the big screen. Lastly there is a trailer for the video game “MLB 12: The Show” and other previews from additional Sony titles.
