Review of Molly's Game (2017) by Dana F — 24 Jun 2018
This movie is far more entertaining that I thought it would be. It's a fascinating story that's told in a fast-paced, high-energy style. The film gives an account of the high-stakes poker rooms run by the eponymous Molly Bloom, which catered exclusively to the rich and famous - so, think 'Goodfellas' meets 'Rounders', with a spoonful of daddy issues to sweeten it up.
Though the movie is ultimately about Molly's fall from grace, it's the story of her rise that's the fun part. Long-time writer/first-time director Aaron Sorkin tells the story through intermingling the "now" story of her legal troubles with the "then" story of how those legal troubles came to be.
The flashbacks are definitely the best part, and even though those scenes rely almost entirely on the crutch of voice-over narration to tell the story, it really works. The movie is at its driest during the scenes between Molly (Jessica Chastain) and her attorney (Idris Elba) - they are both powerhouse actors and deliver excellent performances, but the scenes run too long with too much exposition.
Plus, the rat-a-tat banter between them is a little too quick and sharp to be believable as natural dialogue, and I found it to be distracting. That crackling dialogue is Sorkin's trademark, but I'm just not a big fan of it because no one really speaks like that.
.. these characters are ready with a zippy retort before the other person has even had a chance to finish delivering their zippy jab. Likewise, Molly is whipsmart in a way that people can only dream of being, and for me, it takes the realism out of the story.
Even so, it's hard not to be captivated by it. Though Sorkin is known for his writing, I gotta hand it to him, he did a pretty damn good job behind the camera. The movie really rises above its subject matter, and what could easily have been a run-of-the-mill cautionary tale is instead presented as an effective inspirational story.
The film is a little too long, but it's a dynamic and engaging telling of a truly interesting story, and definitely worth watching.
This review of Molly's Game (2017) was written by Dana F on 24 Jun 2018.
Molly's Game has generally received very positive reviews.
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