Review of All the Money in the World (2017) by Keenan S — 13 Apr 2018

All the Money in the World is a very enjoyable, tense thriller based on real life events about the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and the efforts to get him back. It's also a story about the nature of how wealth can utterly corrupt a person, even if someone in their family suffers because of it.

The direction is terrific, the performances are fantastic, and it has a proper level of suspense. The plot could use more bite, however. In particular, it didn't explore Jean Paul Getty enough. It shows some of the man's eccentricities (Like installing a payphone in his mansion for guests to use), but the man was crazier than what was depicted in the film, nor does it go into the details about how the ransom was really negotiated ($2.

2 million...but only because it was the maximum that was tax deductible and then loaning with a 4% interest rate, $800,000 to his son to pay the ransom). There was a lot more to explore in that regard, yet strangely, it remains somewhat tame (Maybe they thought it would have sounded ridiculous.

..?). Despite some hiccups (As to be expected from a film based on true events), it still remains a satisfying kidnapping thriller with the added theme about wealth's corruption and destruction.