Thursday Double Feature: The Ides of March (2011) and Moneyball (2011)

This combination is due to the pairing of a local theatre offering a double feature.

I didn't really know what I was getting into with The Ides of March. I wanted to see Moneyball and it so happened that it was the second part of a double feature and this was tacked on before it. I refused to watch a trailer of it, as I find that every so often a trailer or even a movie description exposes too much and spoils some of the enjoyment. But after seeing the movie itself, I believe that had I known what the movie was about, I would have never watched it. So let me make this short: it is a political thriller about a campaign manager, the scandalous presidential candidate he works for, and a young female intern. And by saying just that you already know the story. If this sounds like your cup of tea, do what you will. But I would save myself a couple of hours, some money, and skip this. It is not entertaining, it will not give you any new insights to the world (unless, perhaps, you have any naiveties regarding politicians and politics), it will not uplift, encourage, or inspire. It doesn't seem to do anything a movie is traditionally meant to do, but what you don't want it to do.

I was very interested once I had heard that a screen production of Moneyball was being made because reading the book years previously made me a fan of the Oakland A's and their unconventional management style (along with their being one of the underdogs of baseball). The movie did not disappoint. Though the book was mostly about Oakland's methodology (therefore being a difficult translation to film), the movie covered their 2002 season, along with a greater focus on the life of the general manager, Billy Beane. The book, as far as I can recall, hadn't much to say about the person Billy Beane, and it now feels like the story would be incomplete without such information. What is great about this is that the book and movie act as complements instead of substitutes. The latter gives a greater sense of the risk Beane took in going against established scout practices and hence the drama that the book didn't fully capture. However, it failed to reveal how successful he had been over the span of several seasons I imagine might leave some who are new to the story feeling as though his winning was more based on luck than anything else (especially with Beane's quirky superstitious practices). But overall, it was very well done and would recommend it, even to those who don't like baseball. But for those who do, it is a must-see. Rarely are movies based on true baseball stories this good.