MONEYBALL (2011)

Directed By: Bennett Miller
Written By: Aaron Sorkin And Steve Zaillian 
Story By: Stan Chervin
Based on the book “MONEYBALL: The Art Of Winning An Unfair Game” by: Michael Lewis 
Cinematography: Wally Pfister
Editor: Christopher Tellefsen 

Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Reed Diamond, Brent Jennings, Tammy Blanchard, Nick Searcy, Arliss Howard

Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane is handicapped with the lowest salary constraint in baseball. If he ever wants to win the World Series, Billy must find a competitive advantage. Billy is about to turn baseball on its ear when he uses statistical data to analyze and place value on the players he picks for the team.


This film feels like a classic story. It is told simply not in a flashy way with plenty of dramatic scenes and even leaves room for light humor. Though it is intricate in the details and methods it is told. 

It feels like a film that has confidence in itself and how important it is. Whereas for the audience your enjoyment of the film matters in your interest in the subject and even the sport of baseball. As the film feels strong and partially nostalgic about the feeling of baseball and what it represents for some but also represents the players who seemingly

Give their all even when they might have run out of what makes them special, but also by making it more about numbers and probability. While trying to humanize these players it also undercuts them as at times liabilities more than anything. 

Why is it that baseball is the most respected sport when it comes to movies? Even though it is the sort that had a public cheating scandal in its heyday? As it strangely seems to represent Americana. As it has always seemed to be around and played?

Jonah Hill underplays In his role showing he can be quite effective without really doing much and more letting the character stand out for his skills rather than his behavior or words.

Bennet Miller behind the camera directing is always a joy. As he always seems to disappear and once he comes back around to making another film it stands out in many good ways. As they always seem more prestige than anything else. Good but they seem to lack passion or too much emotion. Here he has another home run. 

As a director, he tends to be very atmospheric. Especially when it comes to a consistent tone. As he seems to seek to say so much. While seemingly doing very little but it feels bigger. It’s hard to believe he only came onto this project after Director Steven Soderbergh left the project. 

This is one of Brad Pitt’s better performances where he seems to be in a role later in his career. As in the role, he plays it as more neutral, cocky, and as much of a show-off as he has done in the past. Here he doesn’t have to rely on looks, personality, or charm. 

The cast is full of heavy hitters who never let the film or the material down.

As this film is a true story it doesn’t have a storybook ending. But even as it is downbeat it is a quietly satisfying one. 

It not only takes you behind the scenes of the organization but also a great story with real characters going through inner turmoil. Though they stay in check of their emotions, you can read the drama clearly on their faces and in their eyes. 

The story is all about the details that shape and define it. 

GRADE: A

FATAL AFFAIR (2020)

Directed By: Peter Sullivan 
Written By: Peter Sullivan & Rasheeda Garner
Story By: Peter Sullivan & Jeffrey Schneck
Cinematography: Eitan Almagor
Editor: Randy Carter 

Cast: Nia Long, Omar Epps, Stephen Bishop, Aubrey Cleland, Maya Stojan, KJ Smith, Estelle Swaray 

Ellie tries to mend her marriage with her husband Marcus after a brief encounter with an old friend, David, only to find that David is more dangerous and unstable than she’d realized.


This is supposed to be an erotic thriller Burt here are only glimpses of erotica maybe two scenes that seem to almost go there before cutting away. There is an opening sex scene where you barely see anything and might be the sole reason for this film Getting an R Rating. 

Sir of the film plays like a Lifetime television movie, one of the more sensationalistic and ridiculous ones. Where you can’t believe half of what is going on. Now mix that with usually these types of films that comes out towards the end of the summer African American cinema is a thriller that has an actress front and center with a recognizable supporting cast.

The film stars the beautiful and overly capable actress Nia Long and Omar Epps as the lead. Yet the film Feels 10 – 15 years too late for them or most of the audience to really get excited about their on-screen pairing.

Also, it already seems that he is obviously a psycho that the film barely holds any surprises. Especially when the film doesn’t.

Live up to the title. As there is no actual affair. There is almost one that ends up. It happens and sets this guy off. Not that he wasn’t crazy before that and worse as unhinged as he is. You would expect him to be more obvious to others.

Not to mention that her old college friends tell her how obsessed the guy was with her in college and the fact she never knew or recognized it seems a little hard to believe. Could see if she thought maybe he had changed or maybe if his psychosis was brought on by seeing her again and that was what triggered her would have been a stronger plot device. 

The fact that he is a tech expert just feels convenient to the story of course. Though when they keep saying his ex looks like Nia Long’s character. When we see her she definitely does not, so while it works story-wise when we see it with our own eyes it seems very far-fetched.

Just as the fact that her best friend would believe a guy she just started dating over her best friend of years.

The film tries to be a thriller but it just comes across as silly and fun and unintentionally funny. Worst of all it’s not even that sexy.

The characters who end up being killed are minor, not even really secondary. It seems like anyone who has less than 10 lines in this movie is fair game to end up murdered. 

Grade: F