Review of All the Money in the World (2017) by Morganolson — 31 Dec 2017

Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World” is a lifeless thriller; acceptable but not admirable. 6/10.

The kidnapping of John Paul Getty’s grandson, J. Paul Getty lll is a rousing story, but it’s stifled by the bland, oppressively bleak, and muted cinematography of Dariusz Wolski. Getty’s estate is drenched in muddled and grainy blacks, much like his frugal soul. But the adherence to such a palette begins to wear on the viewer far before the meandering story concludes. With three time-jumps in the first twenty minutes, this is a story fixated on the journey of a Getty. From childhood, to confused and naïve middle years, to the final confident posture and astuteness of a tried a true Getty. It’s this intention, to span the mental and physical lifetime of a Getty, that ultimately drags the film into mediocrity. While the technicalities fall short, the acting is superb. It is impossible not to praise Christopher Plummer (J. Paul Getty) and Michelle Williams (Gail Harris) performances. With both displaying confidence, deep-seeded spite, and authority in every scene. Mark Walberg (Fletcher Chase) trails just behind, spending the film attempting to convince the audience he’s disappeared into his character only to break the illusion in the end with an unmistakably Walberg, verbal tirade. Romain Druis as Cinquanta also delivers in spades, masterfully pulling off the clichéd parental kidnapper with realism. Ultimately, this is a film that demands focus on the actors. If you look anywhere else, hear anything else but the dialogue, you’ll be sorely disappointed. With a tighter pace, some color saturation, and some desperately needed restraint from the score of the film, “All the Money in the World” could have been a rousing feature. Instead it drifts by, with the one memorable scene already claimed by Van Gogh.