Die Kunst zu gewinnen - Moneyball

Eine Filmdarstellung von Inspiration und einer guten Absicht, fantastisch einfallsreich und intelligent geschrieben, mit einer brillanten Regie. Baseball ist mir egal, aber der Gedanke von diesem Werk ist in jede Branche übertragbar – verlasse dich auf deinen eigenen Instinkt, gehe deinen Weg und verrate nicht dich selbst. Warum haben es Sorkin mit Zaillian nicht in den Kulissen von Filmdreharbeiten geschrieben, die auch auf Teamarbeit basieren? Sie würden bestimmt viele Oscars bekommen. Obwohl sie auch hier sehr wahrscheinlich sind… (01.01.2012)

The best sports-themed film in years. It doesn't matter if you understand baseball or have a relationship with the sport itself, Sorkin's brilliant (again) script is all about passion for the cause, boundless faith in one's own judgement and in what one is doing, despite the risk of losing one's credit. The interactions between Pitt and Hill are a joy to watch. All this without annoying clichés and fake spectacular scenes that would make a stone cry (see e.g. Warrior). (20.01.2012)

The best and most entertaining baseball film I’ve ever seen. Before watching it, I wasn’t expecting it to deliver a great experience because baseball is all Dutch to me, but the fears were unwarranted. Brad Pitt’s great performance and the equally great script didn’t allow my attention to stray away. Thumbs up and I’m rooting for Brad at the Oscars. (16.12.2011)

The Social Network trifft Baseball. Ohne vorher den Namen des Drehbuch(Co-)autors zu kennen, habe ich hier Sorkins Handschrift wahrgenommen. Wir haben hier wieder etwas unversöhnlisches, rücksichtsloses, kluges (im Vergleich zum Thema), manchmal kühl und zurückgezogen, jedoch umgeben von Respekt vor dem "Solitair", welcher die Welt verändern wird (des Baseballs). Der Genuss am Film wächst beim Zuschauers mit den Kenntnissen über das Spiel exponentiell an. Jedoch selbst wenn Sie über Baseball ebenso wenig Bescheid wissen, wie ich, gibt es immer noch viele lebhaft geschriebene und gespielte Charaktere, deren Beziehungen und Kommunikation interessant sind. Der Film hat mich, rational gesehen (ich habe ihn im Detail nicht verstanden) weniger beeindruckt, jedoch er funktioniert nur emotional (manchmal gar überraschend, die erwachsenartig kindliche Beziehung zwischen Billy und seiner Tochter erinnerte mich, in weiß nicht womit, an Coppolas Somewhere - Verloren in Hollywood). Abgesehen von einigen klischeehaften Verzögerungen schätze ich außerdem, wie spartanisch doch all das hier erscheint. Keine ultimative Wohlfühlsache. Eben nur ein Spruch wie "Papa, du bist so ein Versager" ... Eine bemerkenswerte Aussage darüber, wie Dinge geändert werden können, und (abermals) ein Bild darüber, das von einer Rebellion über diejenigen erzählt, die behaupten, dass es eben anders nicht geht. Zufall? Sie entscheiden. :-) (15.11.2011)

Statistics are boring, but carry valuable information and in the form of a baseball version of The Social Network, it isn’t boring at all. This is as much about baseball as Fincher is about Facebook; in other words, not at all. Despite this, this category is still ruled by The Damned United which is basically the same in a more inventive form of directing and, thanks to the setting, is also a little closer in cultural terms for a European. (01.12.2011)

Brilliant. I enjoy the hell out of these sports biopic dramas, whether it's basketball (Hustle), tennis (King Richard and Borg/Mcenroe, skiing (Eddie the Eagle), figure skating (I Tonya), car racing (Le Mans 66 and Rush). Mow I'm adding baseball to the collection thanks to Moneyball. I'm also one of those who will probably never understand the game, but that doesn't matter here, the sport itself doesn't matter that much, as it is about the behind the scenes of managers and player trading, which I surprisingly enjoyed – selling people in a different way. The whole idea of putting together a team of players that no one trusts just based on computer stats is awesome. Brad Pitt is excellent as usual, Jonah Hill is also fine, and they carry the film. The well-written dialogue, a few unexpected twists, the great direction and a thrilling finale make this a nice piece of filmmaking as well as an entertaining sports movie. Really great. 8/10. (07.07.2022)

A year after the world applauded Sorkin's screenplay for The Social Network, another story full of rapid-fire dialogues, technical terms, and a suppression of obvious emotions to a minimum came. Although comparing Facebook to baseball is difficult, this calculated approach and, in the case of the author, this quick bet on certainty already undermines Moneyball from the very beginning. And even though it looks almost effortless in its technically precise environment and occasional family scenes can work, I didn't get enough of it. I understand the pursuit of exceptionalism and the desire for a forgotten dream, but the film remains halfway between a love confession for sports statistics and a demonstration that being a general manager is no joke. Precise 70%, especially for one of Brad Pitt's career performances. (22.02.2012)

I don’t understand baseball, I don’t even like it (I only know the Red Sox because of Stephen Kind and Lost) and I doubt that this sport has any sense to it. I like baseball bats (for personal reasons), but that’s not enough to make me able to watch a movie about baseball. So, who did all the work, who made me like the movie? Brad Pitt, who plays a guy who keeps on losing, but keeps on trying, makes bad decisions, knows that but still he keeps on trying until he takes a last, desperate step and starts to listen to a fat accountant. Perfect dialogs, decent humor, excellent actors. It couldn’t have been filmed better, in my opinion. (18.12.2011)

Very smart and cleverly directed, without unnecessary arrogance and artificially heightened emotions. A bit reminiscent of Any Given Sunday, but far less controversial. It must be said that Moneyball also relies on its actors, especially on Brad Pitt (he’s ageing like fine wine) and the young Jonah Hill (excellent potential). I lacks drive, but it's not that they forgot about it, it simply wasn't part of the plan. An unconventional sports film. (29.01.2012)

Das Ende, ungefähr die letzte halbe Stunde, als das Spiel "endlich“ begonnen hat, hat mich wenig interessiert. Baseball gehört nämlich zu den Sportarten, über die ich fast nichts weiß und eigentlich auch überhaupt nichts wissen möchte. Da kann sich niemand wundern. Trotzdem habe ich Die Kunst zu gewinnen – Moneyball die meiste Zeit genossen, weil der Film nicht auf dem Spiel der Spieler baut, sondern auf dem Spielen der Schauspieler*innen (die super Leistung von Brad Pitt war keine Überraschung, die von Jonah Hill war aber eine sehr große Überraschung) und auf einem ausgearbeiteten Drehbuch. Das hat mir diese seltsame Welt sicher und mit Leichtigkeit gezeigt und es ist ihm auch gelungen, mich solide zu unterhalten. (20.10.2020)

Although I hate baseball and its popularity overseas is a bloody mystery to me, I was very impressed by Moneyball and it even made me think more about the sport. Baseball, however, is here, as I read in every other comment, just an mandatory side motif (enhanced, moreover, by a real event) against the background of an emotional human story with a big idea that has nothing to do with hitting a ball. It's a story about the tremendous strength and will of an individual, enhanced both by precise and sensitive direction, and above all by Pitt's outstanding performance, which this time easily outshines everything else in the film. And it's also a real-life drama, as evidenced by the absence of a celebratory happy ending at the expense of a civil and emotionally compelling one. This just worked out well :-) 4,5* (27.06.2013)

Even though I have already seen the film "The Artist", I still think that Brad Pitt deserves the Oscar for Best Male Performance for the year 2011, specifically for the film "Moneyball". Do you like baseball? No? Well, I'm not a fan either, who regularly watches matches. I've only seen a few in my life, but when you watch American movies, you simply can't avoid at least hearing about baseball. For many Americans, it is the number one sport. Children grow up with their dad throwing them a ball, not just throwing it, but throwing a baseball and catching it with a baseball glove. Baseball is a sport but also a business. Some teams simply cannot afford to buy good (expensive) players, and that is why the "Moneyball" system was created - "buy faulty goods, maybe something will come out of it". Brad Pitt plays the manager of a team that relies on this technique. Yes, it is based on true events and characters, and yes, it is an excellent film that is definitely worth it. Brad Pitt is absolutely magnificent in the role, whether as a tactical manager or a loving father. I don't seek out sports movies, but this one was just great in the cinema. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/05/9-umelec-diktator-nacho-libre-rise.html (19.02.2013)

Moneyball has a lot to offer and it really shows in the result. There really was really nothing to work with in writing the script here; working on this film requires sensibility and a huge amount of information, which Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin have managed to pull together admirably. I don't like baseball, I don't watch baseball, and I don't really care about baseball as a sport. So I can't quite understand why I felt a pleasant tension and was terribly excited to break out the first game under the new strategy. Perhaps this can be attributed to the excellently constructed storyline, the intelligent and rich dialogue, the brilliant Pitt and Hill, or the simple fact that the filmmakers managed to present baseball in perhaps the most enjoyable and imaginative way. An (un)believable piece of honest filmmaking. (11.01.2012)

I like sports-themed films, even if I don't really understand the sport they deal with. Moneyball attracts audiences with a stellar cast and a quite interesting theme inspired by the real-life story of baseball player and manager Billy Beane. Despite the undeniable qualities of the film, I have to admit that I found myself looking at my watch quite often, wondering when it would be over. Maybe it would be different with a shorter runtime, but I'm not sure. Even Brad Pitt didn't impress me with his acting. (65%) (24.10.2020)