Review of Molly's Game (2017) by Teddy F — 03 Jan 2018

Acclaimed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut goes well, helped by excellent performances and excellent writing.

Molly's Game tells the story of Molly Bloom and how she came to be the head of the world's most high-stakes exclusive poker game. Jessica Chastain kills it as Molly Bloom and as soon as the movie begins we get a taste of what her performance in the movie is going to be like; Chastain effectively delivers Sorkin's well-written dialogue to tell the audience a story and make it more interesting than it necessarily is. Sorkin wrote a great script and Chastain does the script complete justice. Jessica Chastain is sexy, ambitious, and has no time for your crap in one of the strongest lead female performances I've seen all year. Supporting Chastain, is a strong surrounding cast made up with the likes of Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera. Elba plays Bloom's lawyer in her court case and is just as capable as Bloom to clap back during an argument and asks the necessary questions and plead the right case. Elba's performance brings life to scenes that would otherwise be dull. Kevin Costner plays Molly's father and in the few scenes we get to see him, Costner is a scene-stealer. Costner plays the dad who is always pushing his children to be the best and until he sees them reach their maximum ability, he is not satisfied. There is one moment in the latter half of the film where Chastain and Costner have a discussion on a bench that ends up serving as a strong, moving, resolution to their semi-abusive relationship which is backed up by tremendous performances from both actors involved. Aaron Sorkin is great at telling the story and the cast put together deserves a lot of credit for enhancing his writing significantly.

Coming in at 140 minutes, Molly's Game may sound like it has a long runtime for a story about a woman simply building a high stakes poker business; but in the end, the movie is more than that and goes by quickly. The delivery of lines is quick and the voice-over narration of some scenes does not skip a beat. Sorkin knows what he wants to have his actors say and has them say it efficiently and capably. While the movie might end up too fast at points for some audience members, overall the movies fluent pacing helps keep the film alive and intriguing. Molly's Game sometimes can feel like the movie did coke, and that's fine with me and my young self. Without the "you look away for two seconds and you'll miss something" attitude the movie displays, the movie wouldn't be able to catch your attention the way it does and it would be bagged down by its not overwhelmingly interesting plot. Molly's game can make your heart race and be intense, but it also finds time for some quiet moments as well; it isn't a complete rush the whole way through. The soft discussion we get to see in some scenes is what ends up adding a more emotional layer to both the film's characters and the film itself.

The only flaw I found with Molly's Game is its lack of a truly memorable moment or extremely beautiful shot. Sure, there were certain scenes I can remember at the moment (it being the most recent film I've seen) but in the long run, I don't think there is anything that will stick with me...besides the giant f*** you Molly gives at the end of her introduction. The problem with not having a moment that you want to go back to is it hurts the movies overall rewatchability and while I'd be fine with watching Molly's Game again, I don't have any particular intention to do so.

In conclusion, I found Molly's game to be a movie that combines outstanding performances and driven writing to create an above average debut for Aaron Sorkin's directing career; when? Molly's Game comes out to wide release, I definitely recommend seeing it.