Review of Molly's Game (2017) by John M — 12 Feb 2018

All in. So based on real life events, this is about Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain). She is a former Olympic skier, but after a complete life change following a freak accident, she finds herself getting involved in the underground poker scene in Los Angeles.

She must be doing something successfully, because she eventually begins to receive attention from the FBI. Now this had people's attention (including my own) for one reason and one reason alone: the name Aaron Sorkin.

Not only did he adapt the screenplay for this, but he also decided that this was the time to make his directorial debut. While it isn't a flawless effort, it is still about as much as you can ask for from a first timer, and he does what it takes to make his script shine brightly.

Now there are two things that this movie really has going on for it, with the first expectedly being the script. The writing sparkles at every line in typical Sorkin fashion. While there are plenty of talented writers in Hollywood, there is nobody out there who does dialogue quite like Sorkin, and he has this way of compacting as much information into a rapid-fire conversation as possible, but it still feels flowing and natural.

It is to the degree that you can get multiple viewings of the same movie and likely get something new out of it every time because it is impossible to capture all the minutia that goes into the lines he writes for these characters.

The other thing that is excellent about Molly's Game is Jessica Chastain. Other than the script, it is her movie to sell, and she owns the role, being both smart as a whip and one of the strongest female characters you will see all year.

She gives a commanding performance, and whenever she is on screen, she has your full attention. Molly's Game is a well paced thriller that moves quickly at every turn, which is saying something for a movie that is 140 minutes long.

It's sexy, but there is always this morality question in play, and so much of this is about doing the right thing, even at the cost of damning one's self. There is also the allure of identifying some unnamed Hollywood actors by putting dates and mannerisms together, and Michael Cera also does a good job of playing who I believe to be Tobey Maguire.

Between the writing and the strong female protagonist, there is plenty to recommend about Molly's Game.