Hardball (2001) Review

I just finished watching Hardball, so I'm now typing this review.
Introduction:  
Hardball is a film written by John Gatins, based on a novel by Danny Coyle, released in 2001 and directed by Brian Robbins.   The film stars Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane, John Hawkes, Graham Beckel, and even features a young Michael B Jordan amongst many young actors whom I have not heard or seen in many recent projects.
Synopsis:
Conor O'Neil is a man with a gambling problem who just lost $6,000 which he owes to Duffy who has had it up to here with Conor not paying him his money and losing it.  He goes to an acquaintance for money, but because a previous transaction of $5,000 the money isn't just handed over.  Conor must coach a community youth baseball team in the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago in order to get the money.
Performances:
I feel that this is one of Keanu Reeves strongest performances of his career.  His portrayal of Conor is sublime in my opinion.  Conor has the greatest character arc in changing from a gambling addict fuck up in deep debt to clearing his debt and bettering his life from coaching the Little League team he initially begrudgingly coached at first.
Direction:
Through providing Conor an outlet through a Little League team in the poorer side of Chicago,  I felt that there was a great amount of socio-political commentary.  This is evident when Conor takes the kids to their home in the project and he witnesses the poverty and the living conditions in which many people live.  Another example is on the field itself where all the other teams have better looking uniforms and the coach is a prick calling out all the little things once the Kekambas start to win games.
Cinematography and Editing:
Tom Richmond did a wonderful job with the cinematography.  The greatest exemplary scene is the one in which the camera is handheld or seemingly so because of the shaking as it tracks the boy with asthma through the project as he tries to get home at night.  Although some may argue at this quality I believe it is necessary and intentional with its sole intention to put the audience in the character's shoes.  It is night time and the character is in the projects running home but is struggling to breathe properly and needs to use the inhaler.  The jarring effect of the shakiness of the camera combined with the rapid cuts to the p.o.v. shots  really made me feel all of what I expect the boy must be feeling as I see the action unfold.  The reason why this is essential is because there are other chase scenes where Conor is running away from the "thugs" who want him to pay up or get beat up, and the tracking is nowhere near as shaky and almost like they were dolly shots.
Ned Bastille did a wonderful job with the editing.  I feel that the cathedral scene where Conor is giving a  speech in memory of G Baby works because of the way it was executed.  In the scene prior to G Baby's death the Kekambas are in the semifinal game and the last shot is of Conor telling G Baby he is up to bat.  In the next scene Conor is dropping off G Baby and his brother at the project complex and that he expects at practice insinuating that they won, thus leaving me interested and unsatisfied that the winning play was not shown.  Then the events that take G Baby's life occur.  In the cathedral Conor gives a speech reflecting the blessing that is G Baby and talks of the final play.  The speech is done as voice over on the intermittent cuts to the flashbacks of the actual play.  This editing technique really enhanced that final speech delivered by Conor as the audience is left with the really happy and memorable moment he just described.
Final Thoughts:
Everyone who worked on this project did a wonderful job.  I wish I could just talk about the whole movie but that would take a considerable amount of more time and typing when I try to keep these as short and concise as possible. I leave with the grade of A.