Movie Review: Moneyball

Brad Pitt as Oakland A's GM Billy Beane

Moneyball (2011)
Directed By: Bennett Miller
Written By: Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian
Based on the Book By: Michael Lewis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour-Hoffman

"It's hard not to be romantic about baseball." There's a lot of truth behind that quote, uttered by Brad Pitt in the lead role as Oakland Athletics General Manager, Billy Beane. There's no denying the long love affair that American cinema has had with the sport -- more than any other game it looks and sounds the best on the big screen, from those slow-motion pitches to the sharp crack of a bat. It's a sport filled with long and quiet lulls, punctuated by moments of euphoria and excitement, much like we experience in life.

Adapted from Michael Lewis' 2003 novel Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, director Bennett Miller's film closely examines the 2001-2 season of the down-on-their luck Oakland A's. As Billy (Brad Pitt) explains to his teams scouts, "There are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there's 50 feet of crap, and then there's us." Billy is, essentially, completely handicapped by the lowest salary constraint in the big leagues. Where teams like the New York Yankees boast millions of dollars to pick and choose from among the best prospects, the A's have a middling few hundred thousand to spend. When Billy recruits Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an economics major from Harvard, as his new assistant GM, Billy risks alienating his entire staff as he and Peter play a strange numbers game in an attempt to lure cheap, seemingly mediocre players to fill their roster. Billy and Peter are under the assumption that they can assemble a playoff-worthy team under budget by using a computer-generated analysis created by a factory worker named Bill James to draft players. To the majority of scouts and owners, Billy has lost his mind and irresponsibly erases decades worth of how baseball franchises go about forming their teams.

Moneyball is one of the best sports genre movies released in years. It instantly made my top five favourite sports films list (which also includes baseball classics Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and A League of Their Own, along with the underrated soccer gem The Damned United). However, unlike the other films mentioned, Moneyball delves into the behind-the-scenes drama and inner workings of what it takes to build a winning team. There's more drama behind office desks than on the field.

Pitt and Hill as Billy Beane and Peter Brand.

With Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian's sharp dialogue and expert pacing, Moneyball manages to take what, on paper, may read as a dull plot and crafts an inspirational saga about a team of underdogs.

The chemistry between Pitt and Hill is what really drives the fantastic script home. They have an instinctual knack for comedic timing, yet both demonstrate they have the dramatic chops to keep the film grounded. This odd couple carries the weight of the film on their shoulders, with occasional help from an excellent Philip Seymour-Hoffman in the small role of A's manager Art Howe.

This is Pitt's maturest performance to date -- he's subtle and nuanced, even in the lighter comedic moments. Whether spitting tobacco or tossing aside chairs, he's both a loving father and a quick-to-anger former athlete who loves the game of baseball. Billy is the outcast at the centre of a struggling sports franchise and, while all eyes are on him to turn things around quickly, he ultimately becomes the beating heart of the team. He doesn't just want to win, he wants it to mean something.

Moneyball examines the harsh realities that face major league teams when they are unable to take it all the way and the pressures that come with a restless fanbase and hovering owners breathing down your neck. Movies like Moneyball force us to remember that, despite the abundance of riches in professional sports, there are those who really do care -- for love of the game.

FINAL GRADE: A

Favourite Halloween Movies: The Shining

"All work and no play make Jack a dull boy."

I thought it'd be fun to write about some of my favourite horror films in the days leading up to Halloween. Last week I did Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

Second on my list ...The Shining (1980).
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Based on the Novel by: Stephen King
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd

Kubrick's films have always managed to leave me feeling unsettled. But I can never pinpoint exactly what it is that I find so disturbing about them. Whether it's his eerie classic The Shining or a non-horror film like Full Metal Jacket or even Dr. Strangelove, I'm always left impressed with how well Kubrick was able to capture the dark atmosphere lying just beneath the surface. It's a testament to his talent as a director to have you on the edge of your seat without ever really knowing why. With The Shining we actually know why we are on the edge of our seats; yet, Kubrick manages to keep us on edge even if we've read the novel and know the outcome. No easy feat.

Why I Love It: Growing up, I was a hardcore Stephen King devotee. At one point, I read his books as if no other author in the world existed. Although it has been years since I last read a King novel, The Shining was always one of my favourites. The thought of being trapped in an empty hotel over the long winter season with a father who is rapidly losing his mind gives the plot a claustrophobic tension that is hard to shake.

It's a cold, yet stylish, masterpiece of a film and an excellent how-to guide for future directors on how to slowly build and create atmosphere by using vivid visuals and pushing its main actors to the brink.

Few films are this psychologically overwhelming -- a close examination of madness (and what madness can ultimately set loose within a confined space), Kubrick provides the audience with a glimpse of how powerful a film can be when the central characters are unreliable narrators -- Jack, Wendy and Danny are either all off their rockers or onto something with regards to the hostile energies in the hotel.

Although the film does have its critics, its deliberate pace and gradual build to its climax ensures it will continue to remain a classic of the horror genre. Kubrick also manages to, arguably, make the ending even better than in King's original novel. With Nicholson leading the charge in an over-the-top, yet perfectly creepy, performance, The Shining is a must-see for any film fan.

Favourite Scene: An example of how one single, close-up shot, without any dialogue, can both leave the viewer unsettled and suddenly change the direction and momentum of the plot at the same time.

Favourite Halloween Movies: Nightmare on Elm Street

Robert Englund as Freddy

I thought it'd be fun to write about some of my favourite horror films in the weeks and days leading up to Halloween.

First up ... Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
Written and Directed By: Wes Craven
Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp and Robert Englund

This was the second horror film I'd ever seen in my life at the time (second only to the wonderfully atrocious Dolly Dearest, which was essentially a girl-doll remake of Child's Play). I saw Nightmare way back in the sixth grade and I consider it my official introduction to the horror genre (sorry, Dolly).

Freddy Krueger (or Fred, as he's referred to in the original movie -- there's a bit of trivia for you!) remains one of my favourite film villains. He luckily hasn't been destroyed by the shoddy and over-the-top remakes that effectively ruined any enjoyment I ever had for classic villains Michael Myers (Halloween) and Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th). Last years Nightmare remake starring Jackie Earle Haley was actually decent, although completely unnecessary. 

Why I Love It: While many horror film buffs that I've talked to tend to prefer gorier, grindhouse fare from the 1970s (or anything by Dario Argento), I've always been a bigger fan of the more traditional "slasher flicks" that were really big in the 1980s and early 1990s. I guess there's just something about a clever, shadowy villain chasing teenagers that I find more watchable -- its that whole idea of the "boogeyman" that you just can't seem to outsmart.

The plot, for those who don't know, is relatively unique for a teen slasher film: When it's discovered that reclusive creep Fred Krueger is the man behind the recent deaths of young children in a small town, the parents of the community mobilize a lynch mob in an act of vigilantism. They lock Fred in his house and set fire to it, scarring him beyond recognition before he eventually succumbs to his injuries. Years later, the children of the parents who took part in the lynching are being terrorized by a shadowy figure in their nightmares -- an act of revenge from the "spirit" of Fred.

I remember being so freaked out by the premise when I was a kid. Sleep can not be avoided and Freddy was not just some intruder you could lock out of your house. He got inside your head and stayed there. He didn't have a slow, ambling walk like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees -- Freddy could turn into various people, or even objects, to confuse a dreaming teenager.  

Nightmare is a horror fantasy franchise that distorts reality and utilizes nightmare tropes to chilling effect; a surprise considering its low budget. Dream sequences involving stairs turning into mush so the victim is trapped in same spot is only one example of the creative, nightmare-quality the film takes on.

Although Freddy has very little actual screentime in the original film, it's the first time audiences got a glimpse of what would ultimately become his iconic outfit -- red and black striped sweater, clawed hand and fedora-like hat. Freddy eventually became a bit of a wise-cracking villain in the gorier sequels but, although some fans prefer some of the later films, the first film is arguably the true classic of the series.

Favourite Scene: Johnny Depp (in his breakout role) is pulled through his bed and...there's no real way to explain this properly. It's one of the most famous scenes in the film because it manages to be both ridiculous, creepy and gross at the same time. Plus, it's got that great (and by great, I mean cheesy) generic music that became the staple of many horror soundtracks. YouTube didn't allow any embedding, but you can watch the clip HERE).

Movie Review: 50/50

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen

50/50 (2011)
Directed By: Jonathan Levine
Written By: Will Reiser
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston

There are some people who, like myself, tend to avoid movies that centre around a fatal illness. These films are usually either one of two extremes -- far too devastating to watch or so sappy and self-important that you can barely sit through its running time. 50/50 is neither, thankfully. Instead it's a quietly intelligent look at one young man's cancer diagnosis and how he resolves to remain upbeat (and somewhat aloof) while undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a 27-year-old radio producer with a slacker best friend (Seth Rogen) and a distant and self-involved girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), finds out he has a rare spinal cancer and that his odds for survival is deadlocked at a 50% chance.

The script by Will Reiser is based on his own battle with cancer six years ago and addresses how he and Rogen, his real-life buddy, dealt with the diagnosis. Gordon-Levitt is more than up for the challenge of filling Reiser's shoes onscreen, delivering a subtle and nuanced performance that is an early frontrunner for an Oscar nomination.

Adam couldn't be any more of an average joe -- the eternal "nice-guy" who enjoys his simple, regular life and its lack of complications. His "everyman" quality makes his diagnosis all the more heartbreaking, especially considering the insensitive manner in which it is delivered by a distracted doctor.

50/50 is a perfect blend of light-hearted comedy and a look at the sadness and fear that accompanies an illness that may very well result in death. Once faced with his own mortality, Adam begins to make some changes in his life -- inspired in part by his eternally optimistic pal, Kyle, and his new young, med-student therapist, Katherine (Anna Kendrick). With his concerns over his health and his deteriorating relationship with his girlfriend, Rachel, Adam comes to lean on the support offered by Kyle and, especially, Katherine more than ever. However, it's the scenes that Gordon-Levitt shares with Anjelica Huston as his mother where the film really soars. Both give such lovely performances that it's hard not to wish that the script had required them to share more screen time together. Although her role is much smaller than the rest of the cast, Huston's performance is the definition of a perfect supporting role.

The only real flaw in the film is the two main female leads. They are devoid of any real personality -- Howard portrays another variation on the bitchy character she recently played in The Help and Kendrick is still hanging onto the vulnerable smart-aleck characterization she used to earn herself an Oscar nomination for Up in the Air a couple of years ago. However, the film is all about Adam and his friendship with Kyle and director Levine gave both Gordon-Levitt and Rogen the freedom to ad-lib on occasion, which only adds to their chemistry.

While the notion of a lighter, more comedic look at cancer may turn some people off from seeing 50/50, they should know that the movie is also filled with moments of genuine despair and anger over the diagnosis. Watching Adam bond with two older men also suffering from cancer (played by Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer) is one of the highlights.

50/50 is a feel-good film that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure without falling into the trap of being overly sentimental. Certain scenes will stay with you long after the closing credits.

FINAL GRADE: B+

In Memoriam: The Anniversary of James Dean's Death (1931-1955)

James Dean

Eight years ago, I caught Rebel Without A Cause on TV late one night. I was exhausted that day. I had planned on going to bed early, but I was struck by the image of James Dean, lying on the ground with a wind-up toy monkey, in the opening credit sequence for the film.

I recognized the iconic red jacket. It was around this time that my obsession with film was just starting to really take off so I decided, despite my exhaustion, to watch this much-beloved teen angst classic. I figured it would be another Hollywood classic that I could check off my must-see list. I hadn't counted on actually being able to stay wide-awake into the early morning hours.

The film itself is significant to 1950s film history. While parts of it may not have aged very well it still deserves its place among the Hollywood elite. This, in large part, is thanks to Dean's performance. I found him striking, in an odd way, but I was much more intrigued by his unique performance.

Around this time I'd only recently become enamoured with Marlon Brando (the previous year I'd watched The Godfather for the first time -- it was a great introduction to Brando's talent). Dean reminded me of Brando, despite their differences in acting style. Dean clearly idolized and tried to mimic Brando, yet he managed to make all three of his film performances unique and very Dean-esque. From the inspiration he got from Brando he came up with his own style and helped revolutionize acting in film.

Drawing from real life experiences and tragedies, Dean utilized these in his character creations so that the audience could relate and sympathize with his characters, such as Cal Trask (East of Eden, my favourite Dean film and performance).

Rarely do I watch a film and walk away from it absolutely fascinated and in awe of the talent before me. Young actors today so rarely go out of their way to bring something fresh and original to their performances, which is why they won't have the enduring cult power of Jimmy Dean. Watching Dean that night, in the early morning hours, I was saddened at the loss of life and talent. I didn't know much about him at the time, but I knew he'd died young and tragically. I've been a loyal fan, ever since.

Jimmy Dean embodied the charisma, beauty and talent that most actors can only dream of achieving for themselves. Even though he only left behind three cinema features, they will never be forgotten. He was the epitome of masculine-cool. He was ahead of the game both in his activist-humanitarian nature and the way he portrayed a conflicted young rebel. He helped make it okay for male characters to cry in film. Gone were the days of the alpha-male, like John Wayne or Humphrey Bogart. Dean helped usher in a new generation of young, Method actors who saw performance as an art form worthy of their sweat and tears.

It's been 56 years since his death in a car accident at the age of 24, yet time has not diminished his star. To some people he may be a product, just another young dead celebrity face on a poster or a t-shirt -- but to his real fans he was a first-class movie star.

They don't make celebrities like Jimmy anymore.

Here's a rare clip of Dean's screen test for East of Eden (1955).

Movie Review: The Help

Viola Davis as Aibileen in The Help.

The Help (2011)
Directed By: Tate Taylor
Based on the Novel By: Kathryn Stockett
Starring: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jessica Chastain

I saw this movie more than three weeks ago, so this review is long overdue. Initially, I had little interest in seeing The Help, but with all of the hype and Oscar buzz I couldn't let it pass me by.

Set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963, at the height of the civil rights movement in America, The Help follows the intersecting lives of rich, white families and their "help" -- women who have raised generations of children not their own, while taking care of the household chores of the entitled people they work under. Skeeter (Emma Stone) has aspirations to become a writer. As she toils in an unsatisfactory job as a home care columnist, Skeeter decides to uncover a juicy story in order to impress a New York book editor. When the town terror, Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard), fights to enact a bylaw that would equip all homes with outdoor washrooms for "the help" -- to avoid sharing and "contamination" -- Skeeter sets her sights on writing a piece on the plight of black women working for white families in her hometown. It would be the raw, human story she was looking for, although it takes a fair amount of convincing before Skeeter finds someone willing to speak. She finds her subject in a woman named Aibileen (Viola Davis) who puts her heart and soul into raising her current charge, a lonely little toddler with a nonexistent mother, in an attempt to try to overcome the recent death of her own child.

With her expressive eyes and quiet grace, Viola Davis gives a beautiful performance as Aibileen. She gives her characterization of a grieving, under-appreciated woman subtle nuances that pulls the viewer in from the start. What the story lacks in cohesive plotting, it more than makes up for in the acting department. With Davis leading the charge, The Help is a film brimming with wonderful performances from some of the best actresses working in Hollywood today.

Viola Davis (left) and Octavia Spencer.

 As Aibileen's closest friend, Minny, Octavia Spencer gives a performance that is both hilarious and heartwarming. Although Minny was initially reluctant to agree to an interview with Skeeter, watching her transform from a hesitant woman to one filled with confidence is one of the films highlights. You can't help but sit up and take notice when Davis and Spencer share scenes together. And, as the town's outcast "floozie," Celia Foote, Jessica Chastain continues to impress with a memorable supporting performance as a lonely housewife who finds true companionship with Minny; their scenes together provide The Help with some of its strongest, most emotional moments. 

As Hilly, Bryce Dallas Howard does her best with a role that is, at best, a cartoonish villain devoid of any redeeming quality or legitimate motivation as to why she behaves the way that she does. It's fun to hate her (and Howard is so good at being unlikeable in the film), but the word "villain" is practically stamped on her forehead. Emma Stone is solid as Skeeter but she's ultimately relegated to the background in the second half of the film.

Despite wonderful, award-worthy performances, The Help has the tendency to gloss over racial themes in favour of fluffy, easily-resolved issues. The main problem is at the very core of the plot -- rich, privileged Skeeter is likable enough; however her book on "the help" poses no risk to herself. Best case scenario, she'll get to move to New York to become a successful author and fulfill her dreams and, at worst, she can just go back to the job she already holds down at the local newspaper. The fact that she's writing the story to land a cushy job and take a step up the career ladder is hard to forget as she coaxes Aibileen, Minny and other women in her hometown to speak out against their employers. Sure, Skeeter promises them anonymity but, as we see, it isn't hard to figure out who is who in the finished novel. Skeeter is appropriately outraged at the tragic stories that are recounted for her, but it leaves a bit of a bad aftertaste knowing that the ones who will suffer the consequences of any backlash will be the actual subjects of the novel.

The quieter scenes with Aibileen and Minny recounting their life stories are powerful, yet audiences may want a little less glossing over of the true, tense nature of that time period in the south. One scene, in particular, stands out as an indication of exactly what is at stake in 1963: When civil rights activist Medgar Evers is shot dead in front of his family, the town of Jackson goes into a state of panic. After learning the news of Evers' death, Aibileen is cruelly booted from the bus she was riding on with mostly white patrons. As people run back and forth in the dead of the night, Aibileen panics and starts to run towards her own house. Suddenly gripped by the realization that she, too, could wind up getting killed while all alone on the street, Aibileen lets her fear take over. A usually stoic and reserved woman, she is briefly overtaken by unrestrained terror. The Help needed more of these quietly powerful scenes to provide more commentary on the racial relations in Mississippi during the 1960s.

However, any qualms you may or may not have about certain aspects of the film easily disappear as you witness the performances of the superb cast; celebrating with each of the characters as they witness the powerful effects of their stories being revealed to the public for the first time. Part quick-summary history lesson, part melodrama, The Help should (and will) be recognized during awards season for its remarkable cast who all rallied around a patchy, glossy script to create a mostly satisfying tearjerker.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Movie Rant: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

It's hard to believe Raiders of the Lost Ark is celebrating its 30 year anniversary this year. Nevermind the fact that I was still three years away from even being born -- the film is so classic and so timeless that it feels like it very easily could have been made today. With limited use of special effects, it's an action-adventure with a dash of the supernatural.

My parents first showed me this film when I was about six or seven years old. It was pretty much love at first sight -- I even watched the Young Indiana Jones television series just to get my daily Indy fix. I basically wanted to be Indiana Jones (I still do).

At an early age it instilled in me both a love for film and a passion for history (which I wound up majoring in while in university). I continue to watch this film annually with my younger sister -- I can't even venture a guess as to how many millions of times we've watched Raiders over and over again through the years. And each and every time I'm amazed how well it has stood the test of time.

Most film fans have lists and lists of artsy movies they credit as their "all time favourite film." I usually say mine is The Godfather when I'm asked, but if I'm being completely honest, it's probably actually Raiders of the Lost Ark -- or the third film in the original trilogy, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

A few years back I had the opportunity to see Raiders at a screening at a really, really old theatre near Hamilton. It was such a treat to see it on the big screen. You know how people can quote movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show word for word? Well, I can do that with Raiders.

A video has been circulating the Twitterverse of a recent Q&A session Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg held in Los Angeles to celebrate the anniversary. Unfortunately, the videos can't be embedded, but you can listen to some of the audio from the YouTube video below.

I wish I could have been there!

Question: What is your favourite scene from all four of the Indiana Jones films?