Moneyball: Pitt's run at the Oscars - well calculated but (hopefully) unsuccessful

Brad Pitt has always wanted to make good pictures. He makes movies that make him money on the side but he mostly wants to make a legacy. In Moneyball, he plays the celebrated general manager, Billie Bean, of the Oakland Athletics, a baseball team with relatively empty coffers. He is tasked to come up with a winning strategy against the odds. For which, he mostly relies on Jonah Hill's Peter Brand, who by the way, should win his supporting actor trophy for an underplayed, almost delicate but nuanced performance.

Pitt certainly does a good job but it is unclear if there was enough material for him to really make a compelling performance. He sulks, he is smug, he throws things and sulks some more. He is tortured by the past (what movie character isn't?) It is unclear whether what Pitt plays on screen is his take of Bean or the real Bean. This is a very clear run for the Oscars and hopefully he doesn't win, for his own good.

Moneyball is still an entertaining film, even for those not into baseball, however it is much less entertaining than it is being given credit and Pitt has played better roles than this many times.