It would have been very easy for the director Bennet Millerpark director but of great quality (only Truman Capote in 2005 and Foxcatcher in 2015, on top of that), put together a nice (true) sports story and Brad Pitt and make a nice blockbuster with tears, retaliations, losers becoming winners, etc. Instead Miller chooses to tell a good sports story (true) by showing us behind the scenes, everything that is not seen on the field, behind the desks, including sports managers, scoundrels coaches, improvised talent-scouts. In fact, more than that Moneyball – The art of winningit would have been appropriate to title the film Moneyball – The Science of Winning.
The plot tells of Billy Beane, baseball failure and general manager of the Oakland Athletics who, in 2002, managed to set the record for consecutive victories in the USA Baseball League, but what was most incredible was that it was not the Yankees. or the Giants, or multi-billionaire squads like Juve or Inter, but of a team that had a revolutionary idea, that is to apply the scientific method to the choice of players to play. He gets help from a young statistical nerd, Peter (Jonah Hill), who will become his right arm.
If you like it Every damn Sunday, do not watch The art of winning, which is the exact antithesis: the one based on motivation, on sweat, on the spectacularization of the image… here, on the other hand, it is applied science and, incredible but true, this too is spectacular. Not that there is no lack of emotions, mind you, on all the scenes in which the Peter / Hill shows Billy / Pitt the video of the overweight catcher beating the homerun without realizing it, just as Billy risks winning a championship without any joy. Who says math isn’t poetry?
Other recurrences
- 1959is born Jason Alexanderactor at the cinema (Pretty woman) e in TV (Seinfeld)
- 1963is born Alex Proyasregistry of The crow e Dark City
- 1963goes out Silence, from Ingmar Bergman
- 1978is born Anthony Mackieactor of 8 mile e The Hurt Locker
- 1987dies Bob Fossedirector of Cabaret e All that jazz
- 1994goes out Ed Wood, from Tim Burtoncon Johnny Depp
