My first thoughts about Hugo (2011) was, "This is a children's book?" It seemed so deep and way to involved to be a children's picture book. Obviously I have never read the book, but I am now very interested in getting my hands on a copy. I watched a behind the scenes/making of segment about Hugo and the book it is based on. There are certain shots in the movie that are right out of the book. There are many reasons I was curious to see this movie. First and foremost it is a Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed, Shutter Island, Taxi Driver) and it isn't bloody! There are no gruesome deaths, no gangsters or mobsters, no shootouts. I think it would be safe to say that Hugo is his only "family friendly" movie. I just had to check out this whole new side to Scorsese!
Hugo probably isn't for everyone. I know it was nominated for best picture at the Oscars and won a great deal of other awards. That being said it is a very "artsy" film. I found it very interesting and visualy stunning. The cinematography is just beautiful. The acting is wonderful and of course the directing is magnificent. Can I say any less for Scorsese? (I would be scared to say otherwise) Ben Kingsley (Schindler's List, Gandhi, Sneakers, House of Sand and Fog) is simply amazing. Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Wolfman, Nanny McPhee Returns) is very talented. I am anxiously waiting to see him as Ender Wiggin in next years Ender's Game (2013). I could see a bit of Ender in Hugo and I think he is going to be great in that one as well. Hugo really has a great cast and if you can watch it for the artistic feel and appreciate the beauty that it is you may enjoy it. Not to mention the wonderful Automaton and the steampunk look and feel the movie has. It has a fascinating story line as well. There is way to much going on to explain. Lets just say it is more than a boy living in a train station and it touches on the beginning origins of moving pictures.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
The Hunger Games
First of all I should apologize. This has been a crazy busy March and I haven’t focused on my blog the way I would have liked. I will try to make up for that. On the good side, we are heading into the summer movies! Lots of fun stuff to talk about.
The Hunger Games (2012) is one of those movies that doesn’t really need to be reviewed. You can divide people into one of three groups. The fans of the book are going to go see the movie no matter what people say. Then you have those that are curious about all of the hype. They don’t read the book but, will go watch the movie just to see what people are talking about. Then there are the people like me. I read the books. Yes, all three! I wouldn’t say I fell in love with them but I found them interesting and am always curious to see how they choose to transfer books to movies. I guess you could say there is a fourth group. Those who refuse to give in and read the book or see the movie at all.
I didn’t go to the midnight release of The Hunger games but I did see it opening weekend. I was impressed with the movie. They did a great job staying true to the book. As always, the book will fill in the blanks a bit but I guess that isn’t always necessary for everyone. I believe you can enjoy this movie having never read the book. I feel very strongly that you should always do both, read the book and then see the movie, but I know not everyone cares that much. I was watching an interview with Stephen King and he said, “comparing a book to the movie is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both delicious, but have very different flavors.” I really liked that! A movie can never take the place of a book no matter how hard they try. It is just a different medium and watching a movie is a different experience than reading a book. If I want the crunch of an apple, an orange will never really satisfy.
The Hunger Games is such a hugely popular series that I feel I don’t need to say too much about the actual story line. So, I will tell you about the technical side. Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, Big, Dave) wrote the screenplay and directed The Hunger Games. I am curious if he will do all three? The actors have signed contracts for all three movies. (The last one will not be in two parts). I know Gary Ross is directing the second movie, Catching Fire (2013), but will the studio keep him for the last one? I liked his directing style. The actors all do a wonderful job. The movie had the same feel to it as the book and everyone portrayed their characters very much the way I pictured them. The “careers” where very frightening. So crazy, wild and blood thirsty. Just the way I imagined them. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, X-Men: First Class, Like Crazy) is a wonderful Katniss. She still has a chip on her shoulder and has a hard time connecting with people. Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia, The Kids Are All Right, Zathura) was very out of place in the arena. As a sensitive, quiet and shy baker he didn’t really seem to stand a chance of making it very long. Rue was as adorable and just as sly as I imagined in the books. Amandla Stenberg (Colombiana, Texas Killing Fields, Why Did I Get Married Too?) embodied her well. Woody Harrelson (Cheers, Zombieland, Natural Born Killers, Friends with Benefits) is wonderful as Haymitch, the drunk mentor that is suppose to help Peeta and Katniss. Stanley Tucci (Margin Call, Easy A, Undercover Blues, Shall We Dance) is so good in any roles he takes on that Caesar Flickerman just came to life. Blue hair, cheesy smile and all!
There are some slight changes from the book but for the most part it sticks to the book very closely. And, as I said previously, is a good movie even if you haven’t read the book. You can follow it and don’t feel lost or feel like you are missing out on something. The Hunger Games is written in first person, from Katniss’ point of view. Some of the changes they made in the movie really added to the story. By removing the first person point of view they could show us things that they just couldn’t in the book. My favorite was the CGI for the panel of people controlling the arena. It adds to the “creep factor” when you see this group of people watching the “games” unfold and manipulate the arena to their advantage. Wes Bentley (American Beauty, The Four Feathers, Ghost Rider, Gone) plays Seneca, the Gamemaker. He was wonderful to watch. All of the actors are wonderful. I can’t wait to watch them grow in their individual roles throughout the trilogy.
The Hunger Games (2012) is one of those movies that doesn’t really need to be reviewed. You can divide people into one of three groups. The fans of the book are going to go see the movie no matter what people say. Then you have those that are curious about all of the hype. They don’t read the book but, will go watch the movie just to see what people are talking about. Then there are the people like me. I read the books. Yes, all three! I wouldn’t say I fell in love with them but I found them interesting and am always curious to see how they choose to transfer books to movies. I guess you could say there is a fourth group. Those who refuse to give in and read the book or see the movie at all.
I didn’t go to the midnight release of The Hunger games but I did see it opening weekend. I was impressed with the movie. They did a great job staying true to the book. As always, the book will fill in the blanks a bit but I guess that isn’t always necessary for everyone. I believe you can enjoy this movie having never read the book. I feel very strongly that you should always do both, read the book and then see the movie, but I know not everyone cares that much. I was watching an interview with Stephen King and he said, “comparing a book to the movie is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both delicious, but have very different flavors.” I really liked that! A movie can never take the place of a book no matter how hard they try. It is just a different medium and watching a movie is a different experience than reading a book. If I want the crunch of an apple, an orange will never really satisfy.
The Hunger Games is such a hugely popular series that I feel I don’t need to say too much about the actual story line. So, I will tell you about the technical side. Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, Big, Dave) wrote the screenplay and directed The Hunger Games. I am curious if he will do all three? The actors have signed contracts for all three movies. (The last one will not be in two parts). I know Gary Ross is directing the second movie, Catching Fire (2013), but will the studio keep him for the last one? I liked his directing style. The actors all do a wonderful job. The movie had the same feel to it as the book and everyone portrayed their characters very much the way I pictured them. The “careers” where very frightening. So crazy, wild and blood thirsty. Just the way I imagined them. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, X-Men: First Class, Like Crazy) is a wonderful Katniss. She still has a chip on her shoulder and has a hard time connecting with people. Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia, The Kids Are All Right, Zathura) was very out of place in the arena. As a sensitive, quiet and shy baker he didn’t really seem to stand a chance of making it very long. Rue was as adorable and just as sly as I imagined in the books. Amandla Stenberg (Colombiana, Texas Killing Fields, Why Did I Get Married Too?) embodied her well. Woody Harrelson (Cheers, Zombieland, Natural Born Killers, Friends with Benefits) is wonderful as Haymitch, the drunk mentor that is suppose to help Peeta and Katniss. Stanley Tucci (Margin Call, Easy A, Undercover Blues, Shall We Dance) is so good in any roles he takes on that Caesar Flickerman just came to life. Blue hair, cheesy smile and all!
There are some slight changes from the book but for the most part it sticks to the book very closely. And, as I said previously, is a good movie even if you haven’t read the book. You can follow it and don’t feel lost or feel like you are missing out on something. The Hunger Games is written in first person, from Katniss’ point of view. Some of the changes they made in the movie really added to the story. By removing the first person point of view they could show us things that they just couldn’t in the book. My favorite was the CGI for the panel of people controlling the arena. It adds to the “creep factor” when you see this group of people watching the “games” unfold and manipulate the arena to their advantage. Wes Bentley (American Beauty, The Four Feathers, Ghost Rider, Gone) plays Seneca, the Gamemaker. He was wonderful to watch. All of the actors are wonderful. I can’t wait to watch them grow in their individual roles throughout the trilogy.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Chronicle
“With great power comes great responsibility” I couldn’t help quoting Uncle Ben while watching this movie. These three boys could have used some of that wisdom. Some times when watching a superhero/comic book movie I can’t help but wonder about reality. If two people with super human powers, or two transformers, are battling in a large city what would that really be like? How would the everyday people of New York or L.A. react or respond? You get a very brief glimpse of that reality in Chronicle (2012). It is almost too real, which makes it hard to watch, if you can understand that.
Chronicle is another one of those first person camera films. Do we have a name for that yet? What would you call that? I am not really sure. Anyway, it is as if you are watching what they are filming. There was some creativity I hadn’t seen before with the hand held camera approach. One thing they did was to introduce a character named Casey who has a blog that she posts her videos on. She video tapes a lot of her life as well. At times you would be looking from her point of view. Other times the camera was a security camera. It was a very interesting idea and I liked that. Because of this directing choice you end up with backs to you and can’t see faces. To help with that challenge they used mirrors but it was in a natural way.
Andrew is an awkward high school nobody, who decides to start video taping his life. The first scene opens with his dad banging on his bedroom door trying to get him to open it. He has a full length mirror on the back of his door. Andrew is telling him “No! It's 7 am and you’re already drunk”. Just a little glimpse of his home life. He has a cousin named Matt who takes him to school. Matt is family so he tolerates Andrew, but they aren’t “friends” and they definitely don’t run in the same circles. Matt is popular and athletic. Steve is the last member of this little trio. Steve is very popular and is running for class president.
These three boys; Andrew, Matt, and Steve, find something very odd in a hole in the ground. Days after exploring the hole they begin to discover that they have unusual powers. They don’t know what happened or what it is. The previews don’t really tell you much but their only ability is telekinesis. Because of these powers Andrew can now float his camera around him. That gives us some very interesting camera angles. While telekinesis is their only ability they discover they can do some pretty amazing things with that.
This was a very interesting movie with an interesting approach to the directing. There were a lot of things I really liked about this movie. The acting was pretty good; the script was unique, as was the filming. There were some very cool CGI effects as well. However there were also some things I really didn’t like. It wasn’t a good uplifting movie and it was a little hard to watch at times. In a comic book movie I can separate the reality; you know there really is no Spiderman or Batman so the violence is different in a way. As I mentioned in the beginning, this one is very real. I am not saying I believe in telekinesis or anything but this is not a superhero movie. It does have similarities. I was reminded of Unbreakable (2000). That was one of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies that I didn’t really like for the same reasons. Unbreakable is kind of a superhero movie as well, but too real. It is difficult to watch in much the same ways. In both Unbreakable and Chronicle you see what has the potential to be a hero and a bad guy. Based on their choices and how they handle their new abilities you see the paths they are on. In Chronicle it divides friendships and bonds that are formed. That was sad to see.
Chronicle is another one of those first person camera films. Do we have a name for that yet? What would you call that? I am not really sure. Anyway, it is as if you are watching what they are filming. There was some creativity I hadn’t seen before with the hand held camera approach. One thing they did was to introduce a character named Casey who has a blog that she posts her videos on. She video tapes a lot of her life as well. At times you would be looking from her point of view. Other times the camera was a security camera. It was a very interesting idea and I liked that. Because of this directing choice you end up with backs to you and can’t see faces. To help with that challenge they used mirrors but it was in a natural way.
Andrew is an awkward high school nobody, who decides to start video taping his life. The first scene opens with his dad banging on his bedroom door trying to get him to open it. He has a full length mirror on the back of his door. Andrew is telling him “No! It's 7 am and you’re already drunk”. Just a little glimpse of his home life. He has a cousin named Matt who takes him to school. Matt is family so he tolerates Andrew, but they aren’t “friends” and they definitely don’t run in the same circles. Matt is popular and athletic. Steve is the last member of this little trio. Steve is very popular and is running for class president.
These three boys; Andrew, Matt, and Steve, find something very odd in a hole in the ground. Days after exploring the hole they begin to discover that they have unusual powers. They don’t know what happened or what it is. The previews don’t really tell you much but their only ability is telekinesis. Because of these powers Andrew can now float his camera around him. That gives us some very interesting camera angles. While telekinesis is their only ability they discover they can do some pretty amazing things with that.
This was a very interesting movie with an interesting approach to the directing. There were a lot of things I really liked about this movie. The acting was pretty good; the script was unique, as was the filming. There were some very cool CGI effects as well. However there were also some things I really didn’t like. It wasn’t a good uplifting movie and it was a little hard to watch at times. In a comic book movie I can separate the reality; you know there really is no Spiderman or Batman so the violence is different in a way. As I mentioned in the beginning, this one is very real. I am not saying I believe in telekinesis or anything but this is not a superhero movie. It does have similarities. I was reminded of Unbreakable (2000). That was one of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies that I didn’t really like for the same reasons. Unbreakable is kind of a superhero movie as well, but too real. It is difficult to watch in much the same ways. In both Unbreakable and Chronicle you see what has the potential to be a hero and a bad guy. Based on their choices and how they handle their new abilities you see the paths they are on. In Chronicle it divides friendships and bonds that are formed. That was sad to see.
Friday, February 24, 2012
This means war
Why didn’t they ever tell me what FDR stands for? We do learn that his name is Franklin, but did his parents really name him Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foster? We never learn, he is just called FDR. That would be Chris Pine’s (Star Trek (2009), Unstoppable, Just my Luck) character that I am talking about. One of three amazing stars in This Means War (2012) His best friend Tuck is played by Tom Hardy (Inception, Warrior) Tuck, another great name.
Tuck and FDR are CIA operatives. The movie starts out very James Bond. You see the two of them looking very sharp in Tuxes at a party after a bad guy. Awesome James Bond type music playing followed by a lot of action. You think you know what kind of movie it will be, unless of course you have been following the previews, which of course I have. Through a funny and strange turn of events they both unknowingly end up meeting, and falling for, the same girl. Laureen, played by Reese Witherspoon (Water for Elephants, Walk the Line, Legally Blond) is that girl. I really like all three of these actors. They made the movie, it would have been a huge disappointment without them.
I hesitate to say I liked this movie. There where a lot of things about it that I really enjoyed. The acting, as I said, is great. Chris and Tom play off each other so well. Their “bromance” was wonderful and it was nice to see Tom Hardy in a different kind of role. Reese is adorable as usual. She does have this very annoying friend, some call her the comic relief, I call her the gag reflex. Trish is played by Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately, After Lately) I didn’t like her character at all. The script falls short and is predictable but has some very adorable and funny moments. There was one line from Trish that I really liked, believe it or not. In the end she did finally have some words of wisdom. She tells Laureen, “Don’t choose the better man, choose the man that makes you a better woman.” I liked that.
Tuck and FDR are CIA operatives. The movie starts out very James Bond. You see the two of them looking very sharp in Tuxes at a party after a bad guy. Awesome James Bond type music playing followed by a lot of action. You think you know what kind of movie it will be, unless of course you have been following the previews, which of course I have. Through a funny and strange turn of events they both unknowingly end up meeting, and falling for, the same girl. Laureen, played by Reese Witherspoon (Water for Elephants, Walk the Line, Legally Blond) is that girl. I really like all three of these actors. They made the movie, it would have been a huge disappointment without them.
I hesitate to say I liked this movie. There where a lot of things about it that I really enjoyed. The acting, as I said, is great. Chris and Tom play off each other so well. Their “bromance” was wonderful and it was nice to see Tom Hardy in a different kind of role. Reese is adorable as usual. She does have this very annoying friend, some call her the comic relief, I call her the gag reflex. Trish is played by Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately, After Lately) I didn’t like her character at all. The script falls short and is predictable but has some very adorable and funny moments. There was one line from Trish that I really liked, believe it or not. In the end she did finally have some words of wisdom. She tells Laureen, “Don’t choose the better man, choose the man that makes you a better woman.” I liked that.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Now there may be a lot of you who have never even heard of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008). That would also mean you may not know Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse, Angel). Joss Whedon is a genius! I am a huge fan of his.
The brilliant Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D., How I met your Mother, Starship Troopers, Beastly) stars as Dr. Horrible. Nathan Fillion (Castle, Serenity, Firefly, Slither) plays his nemisis Captain Hammer. Joss Whedon and his family wrote the script and the songs. The songs are one of the best things about Dr. Horrible! They are wonderful. If you have ever seen the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled Once More With Feeling, you know what I mean. Joss did the music for that as well. His songs are so clever.
Dr. Horrible was written as a web series during the writer’s strike of 2008. Whedon was making a statement about the strike. It is full of tongue in cheek humor, which is one of the things I love about Whedon. An example of that would be a scene between Dr. Horrible and his friend Moist. Dr. Horrible asks “Hey how was the date last night? Conflict Diamond said you were doubling with Bait and Switch?” Moist replies “Oh, well …… I thought I would end up with Bait, but you know” “Oh yea ……” That makes me laugh every time!
One afternoon my dad watched Dr. Horrible with us. He asked “Do you think they regret doing this?” (Meaning Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris.) Are you kidding me? No they do not at all! They know exactly what to expect when working with Whedon. It’s like Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton make a wonderful team. Joss Whedon is the same. He enjoys working with the same people and they must like working with him because they keep coming back for more.
Joss doesn’t do anything flippantly. He does it on purpose and always knows exactly what he is doing and saying. I am a huge fan of Buffy and I like listening to his audio commentaries. He will tell you he knew what he was doing. He is awesome! I love to dissect his work and try to figure out what he is saying, especially Dr. Horrible and what it is saying about the writer’s strike.
The brilliant Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D., How I met your Mother, Starship Troopers, Beastly) stars as Dr. Horrible. Nathan Fillion (Castle, Serenity, Firefly, Slither) plays his nemisis Captain Hammer. Joss Whedon and his family wrote the script and the songs. The songs are one of the best things about Dr. Horrible! They are wonderful. If you have ever seen the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled Once More With Feeling, you know what I mean. Joss did the music for that as well. His songs are so clever.
Dr. Horrible was written as a web series during the writer’s strike of 2008. Whedon was making a statement about the strike. It is full of tongue in cheek humor, which is one of the things I love about Whedon. An example of that would be a scene between Dr. Horrible and his friend Moist. Dr. Horrible asks “Hey how was the date last night? Conflict Diamond said you were doubling with Bait and Switch?” Moist replies “Oh, well …… I thought I would end up with Bait, but you know” “Oh yea ……” That makes me laugh every time!
One afternoon my dad watched Dr. Horrible with us. He asked “Do you think they regret doing this?” (Meaning Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris.) Are you kidding me? No they do not at all! They know exactly what to expect when working with Whedon. It’s like Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton make a wonderful team. Joss Whedon is the same. He enjoys working with the same people and they must like working with him because they keep coming back for more.
Joss doesn’t do anything flippantly. He does it on purpose and always knows exactly what he is doing and saying. I am a huge fan of Buffy and I like listening to his audio commentaries. He will tell you he knew what he was doing. He is awesome! I love to dissect his work and try to figure out what he is saying, especially Dr. Horrible and what it is saying about the writer’s strike.
Friday, February 10, 2012
A Bear Named Winnie
Alright, I admit it; I am a huge cry baby. There are certain things that just get me emotional no matter what. I will never be able to watch The Fox and The Hound (1981) without crying. I cried like a baby while watching Hachi (2009). I have a bit of a soft spot for animals. They are such an important part of my life. Don’t even get me started about the military. (Just read my post about The Hurt Locker (2008) back in July) That gets me teary as well. Throw in a true story and oh my …….
So, it goes without saying I cried at the end of A Bear Named Winnie (2004). You put the love of animals with the military and I really don’t stand a chance. The fact that it is based on a true story of something I grew up loving as well doesn’t help at all.
A Bear Named Winnie is the true story of a Canadian soldier who adopts an orphaned bear cub. It took place during World War I and he was on his was to England from Winnipeg. That is how the bear got her name. It is actually Winnipeg but they call her Winnie for short. The movie is one of those that begins at the end. A man and his son are at the London Zoo admiring a bear named Winnie. The boy is curious about her story. That leads into her back story which is very sweet. In the end you find out that the man was A.A. Milne with his son Christopher. This story was the inspiration for the Winnie The Pooh stories. So cute but yea, bring the Kleenex. Speaking of which, box of tissue for when I see War Horse (2011)? Oh yes! Definitely!
So, it goes without saying I cried at the end of A Bear Named Winnie (2004). You put the love of animals with the military and I really don’t stand a chance. The fact that it is based on a true story of something I grew up loving as well doesn’t help at all.
A Bear Named Winnie is the true story of a Canadian soldier who adopts an orphaned bear cub. It took place during World War I and he was on his was to England from Winnipeg. That is how the bear got her name. It is actually Winnipeg but they call her Winnie for short. The movie is one of those that begins at the end. A man and his son are at the London Zoo admiring a bear named Winnie. The boy is curious about her story. That leads into her back story which is very sweet. In the end you find out that the man was A.A. Milne with his son Christopher. This story was the inspiration for the Winnie The Pooh stories. So cute but yea, bring the Kleenex. Speaking of which, box of tissue for when I see War Horse (2011)? Oh yes! Definitely!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Moneyball
I really enjoy a good, uplifting, inspirational sports movie. If it’s based on a true story, which most of them are, that is even better. I am not a huge sports fan in the general sense, but I like the uplifting stories that can come out of any situation. When I first heard about Moneyball (2011) there was really no question about it, I was going to see this movie.
Moneyball is the true story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. I would have to say that one of the first things that surprised me about this movie is how recent the story actually is. It takes place in 2001. Interesting fact, the movie is based on the book written by Michael Lewis who also wrote The Blind Side (2009).
Brad Pitt (Troy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fight Club, Legends of the Fall) plays Billy Beane. He did a pretty good job, I enjoyed his performance. One of my favorite scenes of his was when he first meets Peter Brand. Billy sits on the edge of Peter’s desk and asks “Who are you?” You get to see a bit of this scene in the trailer but the whole scene was great. Peter is played by Jonah Hill (Superbad, Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, The Sitter) He was my only hesitation for watching the movie. I do not like Jonah Hill’s movies. However, he really won me over in this role. He did such a great job. Does that mean I am a fan of his now? No Way! But he was really good in Moneyball.
This is kind of what some may call a slow movie. I have even heard it called a spots documentary. I would agree with that. Sometimes in sports movies the games are the big action, intense parts. That really wasn’t the case with Moneyball. It focuses more on the strategy and a whole new approach to putting together a winning team. As I mentioned I am not a huge sports fan. I don’t know names, follow rankings or anything. I don’t know if a team is any good or not. I know nothing about money and how that works in the sports industry. So, you could say that Moneyball was a bit of an educational film for me. I learned so much! I think that is why I found this movie so fascinating. The way players are traded, just gone, expected to move or whatever. The relationship between the general manager and the manager was very interesting. First of all the fact that they called him the manager and not the coach was new to me. Secondly I had no idea the role a general manager played. The way Billy chooses to deal with his scouting staff was very fascinating as well. Like I said, very educational for me. I like that, when I can learn something new.
Moneyball is the true story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. I would have to say that one of the first things that surprised me about this movie is how recent the story actually is. It takes place in 2001. Interesting fact, the movie is based on the book written by Michael Lewis who also wrote The Blind Side (2009).
Brad Pitt (Troy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fight Club, Legends of the Fall) plays Billy Beane. He did a pretty good job, I enjoyed his performance. One of my favorite scenes of his was when he first meets Peter Brand. Billy sits on the edge of Peter’s desk and asks “Who are you?” You get to see a bit of this scene in the trailer but the whole scene was great. Peter is played by Jonah Hill (Superbad, Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, The Sitter) He was my only hesitation for watching the movie. I do not like Jonah Hill’s movies. However, he really won me over in this role. He did such a great job. Does that mean I am a fan of his now? No Way! But he was really good in Moneyball.
This is kind of what some may call a slow movie. I have even heard it called a spots documentary. I would agree with that. Sometimes in sports movies the games are the big action, intense parts. That really wasn’t the case with Moneyball. It focuses more on the strategy and a whole new approach to putting together a winning team. As I mentioned I am not a huge sports fan. I don’t know names, follow rankings or anything. I don’t know if a team is any good or not. I know nothing about money and how that works in the sports industry. So, you could say that Moneyball was a bit of an educational film for me. I learned so much! I think that is why I found this movie so fascinating. The way players are traded, just gone, expected to move or whatever. The relationship between the general manager and the manager was very interesting. First of all the fact that they called him the manager and not the coach was new to me. Secondly I had no idea the role a general manager played. The way Billy chooses to deal with his scouting staff was very fascinating as well. Like I said, very educational for me. I like that, when I can learn something new.
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