Moneyball

Based on a true story, Moneyball follows the familiar sports movie formula – a team of underdogs trying to compete in the big league. Brad Pitt is typically charismatic as Billy Beane, a former baseball player turned manager for the Oakland As, who stand little chance against big bucks teams like the Yankees. With limited options Beane gambles on a new tactic: taking advice from young unknown Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) and using a statistical computer program to assemble his new team.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is, as always, utterly convincing as Art Howe, the A's coach struggling to accept Beane's new methods. Moneyball's international success may be hampered by a disinterest in baseball outside America, but it is shot with style and features archive footage of the games and fans, so is involving and easy to follow. As the As go up against the biggest teams in the sport, one can't help but root for Beane's dysfunctional group of misfits and oddballs.