From the brilliant mind of Aaron Sorkin who has wrote films such as The Social Network, Steve Jobs, and Moneyball. Comes his directorial debut and probably best project yet, Molly’s Game. I was invited last night to see an early screening of this movie and was stoked after hearing all the positive reactions from film festivals. I believe Aaron Sorkin is one of the best screenplay writers in the industry, and after hearing he was not only going to write but also direct this film I had nothing but high hopes. The film is based on a true story about a woman named Molly Bloom played by actress Jessica Chastain, and her rise in the world’s exclusive high-stakes poker game and her being targeted by the FBI. Let’s go a little more into detail and see what the film did right.
Aaron Sorkin did an amazing job directing and writing this movie. The dialogue was unbelievable and rich to listen to that you just can’t help but be astonished to what you were hearing. Sorkin has a talent to write dialogue that not many know how to do; dare I say I believe he is almost on the level of someone like Quentin Tarantino. What he does that is so brilliant is let you see the world through the main character’s point of view and not only understand their background, but also make you understand the environment that they’re in as well. I thought I knew for the most part what the game of poker consists of, but after seeing this film I have a whole new perspective about the sport because of the way he was able to tell this story. With the dialogue and the way he shot this film with great close-up shots of the people or their playing cards, I felt as if I was sitting at the poker table with them and was about to lose all my money. As a fan I can’t wait to see what he is going to direct next, because if it’s anything like this then we are in for something truly special.
The cast was fascinating to watch and probably some of the best performances I have seen this year. Jessica Chastain was captivating to watch the entire time. She completely took command of this role that I only saw the character of Molly Bloom. She was able to make me connect with this character, understand her flaws, and her reasoning for getting into the world of poker. I said it before the race for Best Actress is going to be stacked this awards season, but there’s no way she doesn’t get a nomination for this role. Idris Elba who plays her lawyer gave a formidable performance. Not a lot of people are talking about him this awards season, but after seeing this I believe he just made his case for nabbing a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The on-screen chemistry that he had with Jessica Chastain, plus the Aaron Sorkin dialogue just equal pure cinematic magic.
The rest of the supporting cast all gave great serviceable performances from actors like Kevin Costner who plays Molly’s dad. I enjoyed the father-daughter moments they had with one another, Michael Cera is also in this movie, and he was hilarious almost every time he appeared on-screen. Speaking of comedy, this movie is surprisingly very funny. I thought the comedy worked, didn’t feel forced, and just came off organic. If I had any gripe with this film, it would have to be the runtime. The movie is 2hr 20minutes long, and you can feel almost every minute of that runtime. The movie definitely takes its time to develop, and for someone like me I don’t mind that, but I can understand how that can bother some people. There were a few times I wanted the movie to pick the pace up just a little bit, but you’re so intrigued with this world and the characters that I feel you may get over it pretty quick.
So, in conclusion this movie is one of the best films I have seen of 2017 and will most likely crack my top 10 lists at the end of the year. This movie sort of reminded me of The Wolf of Wall Street and just how you couldn’t help but be taken away with the characters and the world that they’re living in. Aaron Sorkin can add another winner to his already impressive filmography, and I believe as of right now he should win the Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay. Also, while I’m on the topic of Oscars Jessica Chastain gave another incredible performance, and should definitely get a nomination for this role as well as Idris Elba. The rest of the supporting cast were great, and the comedy was comical and entertaining to listen throughout the film. I had a bit of problem with the runtime, but once again this is a brilliant film that once you’re sucked into this world you can easily overlook it. Highly recommend that everyone see this movie once it is released nationwide. Overall, I’m going to give Molly’s Game an A!
khalilsmovieblog.wordpress.com 