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Moneyball

Modern Masters

Bennett Miller / Feature Narrative / United States of America / 2011 / Colour
In English / Arabic subtitles
Interests: Drama, Sports, Biography
Rated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.

Synopsis

Those two all-American impulses – capitalism and the love of baseball – are at odds when the Oakland A’s lose to the New York Yankees in the 2001 postseason. Why? The Yankees’ spend is about $75 million more than that of the A’s’ – which is to say, “poor” teams simply cannot compete. When the loss on the field leads to the loss of key players, A’s General Manager Billy Beane, whose measure of success is winning the championship, has to devise a way to build a competitive team despite the meagre budget he has available.

Enter Peter Brand, a Harvard grad in economics, whose statistics-based theorising Beane harnesses to come up with an affordable team of undervalued players – an approach that might not only send a team to the top, but also revolutionise the way the American national pastime works. At least, that’s the plan.

With ‘Moneyball’, director Bennett Miller takes real-life events and brilliantly melds the adrenaline-fuelled tension of high-profile sports with the emotional wallop of rooting for the underdog, as Beane’s new-fangled approach faces stony resistance from the game’s establishment. As the pressure mounts and the stakes get higher, the chess game behind the ballgame reaches fever pitch.

About the Director

Bennett Miller is an Academy Award-nominated film director best known for his narrative features ‘Capote’, ‘Moneyball’, and ‘Foxcatcher’. Miller made his feature debut in 1998 with the critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary ‘The Cruise’. In 2005, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for ‘Capote’, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman in his Oscar-winning performance as Truman Capote. Miller’s 2011 feature ‘Moneyball’, starring Brad Pitt, was also praised by critics, and went on to receive six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Miller was honoured at the Festival de Cannes in 2014 with the Best Director prize for his most recent feature film, ‘Foxcatcher’, starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. ‘Foxcatcher’ was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Miller’s second nomination for Best Director.

Credits

Director

Bennett Miller

Screenwriter

Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, based on the book by Michael Lewis

Producer

Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

Editor

Christopher Tellefsen

Music

Mychael Danna

Cinematographer

Wally Pfister

Sales Company

Sony

Distributor

Park Circus

Cast

Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt

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