“MONEYBALL” (PG-13, 133 minutes): Filmmaker Bennett Miller barely puts a foot wrong in bringing to life the tale of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. In 2002 Beane (Brad Pitt) sought to rebuild the slumping A’s and revolutionize baseball recruiting using Sabermetrics. Miller has done a superb job of underplaying Pitt’s native magnetism, which nonetheless peeks out enough to dazzle Yale-educated computer whiz Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Such logic runs afoul of Beane’s old-school scouts. The secret of “Moneyball” isn’t just that it makes viewers root for Beane and Brand, but for their motley crew of castoffs. Beane can relate: Not only was he a would-be star who didn’t live up to his potential, but he now seeks to provide for his young daughter. “Moneyball” rounds all the bases with grace, modesty and a surfeit of heart. Contains some strong profanity. DVD extras: Deleted scenes, bloopers, featurettes “Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game” and “Moneyball: Playing the Game.” Also, on Blu-ray, cast and making-of featurettes.

“KILLER ELITE” (R, 116 minutes): In this simultaneously silly and overwrought action thriller, Jason Statham plays Danny Bryce, a professional assassin with a soft spot. Living with blood on his hands seems pretty easy for Danny, despite his decision to get out of the business after almost blowing a little girl’s head off. After a mere year’s vacation, however, Danny’s back in the game when he learns that an Arab sheik has taken his friend and former partner Hunter (Robert De Niro) hostage. It seems that Hunter is being used as leverage to get Danny to carry out one last assignment. Keep in mind that all this is just the setup. As it turns out, Danny’s special-ops victims had been taking orders from a shadowy fellow who gets his marching orders from a bunch of even more shadowy fellows. They sit around in conference rooms deciding the fate of the world. Needless to say, they want Danny dead. Contains copious violence and obscenity and some sex and nudity. Extras: Deleted and extended scenes.

“WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER” (R, 106 minutes): After breaking up with her 19th lover, Ally (Anna Faris) reads that most women who have had 20 or more sex partners will never get married. Panicking, Ally vows to stay celibate until she can dig up as many of her exes as possible, hoping that one of them has turned into the man of her dreams. Assisting Ally is her neighbor Colin, a sweet but seemingly commitment-phobic hottie. This should tell you a lot. Not that “What’s Your Number?” is devoid of sweetness or humor. The offbeat wedding vows recited by Ally’s sister and her groom are quirky and wry. And, toward the end, a genuinely laugh-inducing moment comes in the form of a voice-mail message. Contains flashes of nudity, steady obscenity and a stream of raunchy, if strained humor. DVD extras: Unrated extended cut, extended flashback dates, deleted scenes, gag reel.

“HIGHER GROUND” (R, 109 minutes): “Higher Ground” is refreshingly free of proselytizing; however, it isn’t a story of faith but of faithlessness. First-time director Vera Farmiga, who also plays the heroine, Corinne, brings an actor’s sensitivity to her behind-the-camera work. The cast (including Joshua Leonard as Corinne’s earnestly uncurious Christian husband, Dagmara Dominczyck as her earthy best friend and Bill Irwin as the pastor of their hippie-meets-born-again sect) is uniformly solid. But despite all its honesty, the film ultimately feels like a bit of a cop-out. Corinne’s faith, which swings from doubt to surety after her infant daughter is rescued from a bus accident, and then back to doubt again when tragedy strikes another loved one, is shown as something fickle and insubstantial. Late in the story, Corinne meets a hunky, worldly mailman (Sean Mahon) who hints that there may be more to life: books! romance! In that sense, Corinne does, in fact, seem to reach higher ground. Contains sexual dialogue and images and some obscenity. DVD extras: Commentary by Farmiga, Leonard and producer Renn Hawkey; deleted scenes, Los Angeles Film Festival Q & A, making-of featurette.

ALSO: “There Be Dragons,” “1911,” “The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption,” “Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season” (HBO), “Answer This!,” “Doctor Who: The Android Invasion” and “Doctor Who: Invasion of the Dinosaurs” (both BBC/Warner), “Diary of a Single Mom,” “A Mile in His Shoes,” “Sinners and Saints,” “NOVA: Iceman Murder Mystery” and “NOVA: Deadliest Volcanoes” (both PBS), “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Series 2, Season 1,” “An Idiot Abroad,” “Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection 1994-2003” (Universal, three-disc set), “Dennis the Menace Season Four (1962-63)” (Shout! Factory, five-disc set), “Hawaii Five-0: The 12th and Final Season (1979-80)” (CBS Home Entertainment/ Paramount Home Entertainment, five-disc set), “The Station Agent” and “The Garfield Show: Dinosaurs and Other Animal Adventures.”

— The Washington Post