Review of All the Money in the World (2017) by Farah R — 26 Oct 2018
Intriguing drama.
1973. J Paul Getty is the wealthiest man in the world. His grandson, John Paul Getty III, is kidnapped in Italy and his kidnappers demand a ransom of USD 17m. Getty refuses to pay, as giving in to their demands will encourage the kidnapping of his grandchildren. Despite his wealth, he is rather miserly. It is up to the boy's mother to try to find a way to get her son back.
Great drama, based on a true story. Very intriguing with many twists and turns in the story line. The primary focus is on what will happen to Getty jr but there's also this great standoff between his grandfather and his mother.
The miserliness of J Paul Getty I is laid on a bit thick, but apparently it's accurate! We do at least get the backstory of how he built his fortune, and his reasoning for being so thrifty, which does allow some engagement with his character.
On that note, Christopher Plummer is great as J Paul Getty. Plummer got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance. At 88 he became the oldest nominee for an acting Oscar.
Great work too from Michelle Williams as the mother, Gail Harris/Getty. Commanding performance from her.
Out of place amongst such accomplished actors is Mark Wahlberg. He is fine for action roles, and Ridley Scott tries to turn him into an action man here, but his character here was more than a simple man of action, requiring some depth. That's not what he's good at, and it shows. He looks like an amateur when appearing with Michelle Williams.
This review of All the Money in the World (2017) was written by Farah R on 26 Oct 2018.
All the Money in the World has generally received positive reviews.
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