Molly's Game

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Brian d'Arcy James, Bill Camp, J.C. MacKenzie, Graham Greene
Directed by: Aaron Sorkin
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) runs the most exclusive poker game in the world. However, her climb to the top is threatened when the FBI get involved.

Review:

Tim: Aaron Sorkin is easily one of the greatest Hollywood writers of all time. He's written the script for 4 great movies and a number of really good ones. His dialogue is sharp and memorable, as he's written some truly iconic lines. Whenever Sorkin writes a screenplay, I'm automatically interested in the film. So, I was intrigued by Molly's Game, a film written by Sorkin, but it also featured him making his directorial debut. I wasn't quite sure what to think, but I had high hopes. While this movie doesn't reach the heights of some of the other films he's crafted, his first directing effort was surprisingly entertaining. It's not a surprise that the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, but it was surprising that Sorkin was able to direct such an enjoyable movie his first time out of the gate.

While Sorkin's script is certainly solid, it helps that Molly Bloom has lived a fairly unbelievable life. Her life story is ripe for the Hollywood treatment. It almost defied belief, so this movie started with a leg up. The story is well told and keeps us entertained. Now, to be fair, the movie is way too long at 2 hours, 20 minutes. The film really needed to be shorter. I do blame that on Sorkin's inexperience behind the camera. The movie is still really good, but it's absolutely too long. There is a lot to cover and I give Sorkin credit for telling so much of Bloom's life. Still, the film is a little bit much to sit through. Luckily, the pacing works so it never really drags.

The cast was quite strong. It's no surprise that Jessica Chastain is excellent in the film. She's quickly becoming one of the most impressive actresses in Hollywood. Whatever she does, she brings her A-game. She really embodies this character of Molly Bloom. She's flawed and certainly engages in some immoral behavior, but you never dislike her. She's admirable and respectable, even when the way she makes her living isn't. Chastain skirted all the right lines in making Bloom a character that was interesting and likeable. Idris Elba was well cast opposite her. This movie is all about Chastain, but Elba certainly makes it better with his performance. Many of the film's best scenes involved interactions between Chastain and Elba. The two worked well together and are a big reason why the movie succeeds. I loved the presence of Kevin Costner here. He's a good actor and although he doesn't have much screen time, every moment he's on screen, he makes count. I also have to applaud Michael Cera for a very strong supporting turn. He doesn't have much screen time, either- but his performance hit all the rights notes. I left the movie so impressed with Cera. Chris O'Dowd and Graham Greene also add solid supporting performances. Truly, Sorkin assembled a very good cast for his first directorial effort and they do not let him down.

Now, I truly believe that Sorkin is too inexperienced a director to have launched this film to greatness. First time directors do accomplish that, but that's not the case here. That being said, this is still one of the more impressive directorial debuts I've seen. He obviously has a ton of experience in the movies and that serves him well. Molly's Game isn't quite one of the best films of 2017, but I'm very surprised by how close it got. The film has a solid screenplay, a wonderful cast, and an interesting story that is told well. This is an entertaining, worthwhile movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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