Molly’s Game - Review

Molly’s Game

Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba along with Oscar – Emmy Winning screen writer Aaron Sorkin combined their impressive talents for the film “MOLLY'S GAME”. Based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Elba), who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.

REVIEW: “Molly’s Game” simply is one of the Best films for 2017. While narrowly focused on Jessica Chastain portrayal of Molly Bloom, the film overall is an impressive examination of a highly intelligent woman who was emotionally strong and also deeply emotionally flawed. Mostly flawed as a result of her dysfunctional relationship as a child with her obsessively demanding father Larry who was a Clinical Psychologist professor at Colorado State University played by Kevin Costner. It is this specific dynamic that serves as the subplot to the film where we see Molly’s in her youth perpetually seeking her fathers’ approval but never ever satisfying him with his seemingly torturously psychological tactics of demanding more of her in regards to her ski training. He helps shaping Molly’s into being intelligent, resourceful and resilient, but he also helps shaping Molly’s into being very resentful especially towards her father which she probably channels (subconsciously) into her choosing as a life’s profession to running the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game in Los Angeles and New York City for nearly a decade. A profession with no shortage of wealthy, controlling and demanding men who were just vulnerable enough for her to control them and their fates.

“Molly’s Game” is exceptionally well written, but what do you expect from Aaron Sorkin who won an Oscar for his screenplay work for the Oscar winning Best Picture “Social Network”. The verbal exchanges between the cast is eloquent, precise, invigorating and mentally stimulating for its 2 hour plus running time. With an interplay of cast of characters ranging from people talking intelligently about the ends and outs of the game of poker to the interplay between criminal lawyers and FBI investigator’s battling over over a range of legal matters, Sorkin has made an Oscar worthy considering screenplay. If really you want to know what makes me like a movie a lot it is hearing someone craft conversational dialog into something that top actors execute with aplomb, crispness and style. Molly’s game is perfect in that way.

Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut “Molly’s Game” is brilliant, witty and insightful with an unmistakable cinematic intensity that few films are confident enough to try sell to the public as entertainment. But Sorkin does it exceptionally well with Actors Chastain and Elba both providing some of the best acting you will see for 2017. 

4.00 Stars