When in doubt, always bet on Jessica Chastain.
The actress, twice nominated for the Academy Award, should be a frontrunner again in 2018 for her electrifying turn as ‘poker princess’ Molly Bloom in Molly’s Game, the directorial debut of master wordsmith Aaron Sorkin.
The film, which chronicles the rise and fall and redemption of Bloom, a world-class skier whose Olympic hopes were dashed by a horrific accident, is easily one of the best movies released this year.
Shortly after leaving the slopes behind, Bloom moved to Los Angeles and quickly found herself helping run an exclusive weekly poker game for celebrities and millionaires. Bloom parlayed that experience into an empire that eventually migrated from California to New York, made her millions and ultimately landed her in a federal indictment because several of her regular players had ties to a notorious Russian crime syndicate.
As adapted by Sorkin, from Bloom’s memoir of the same name, the film goes all-in on Chastain’s ability to captivate the audience, and she delivers, providing a gift to viewers hungry for raw, red-meat drama after a summer and fall movie season dominated by superhero franchises.
Sorkin has penned revered classics (A Few Good Men, The American President) and some of the best dramatic films in recent memory (The Social Network, Moneyball and Steve Jobs), but this is the first time he’s stepped behind the camera. It’s a great fit as his directing style perfectly complements the raw, crackling energy of his lightning-quick dialogue.
Speaking of style, Sorkin shows shades of peak Martin Scorsese throughout Molly’s Game, most noticeably in the opening sequence that deftly intersperses scenes of Bloom as a child, learning to ski; the surgery that repaired her curved spine; her preparation for the run that ended her Olympic dreams; and her unexpected arrest by heavily-armed federal agents.
While much of the film deals intimately with the game of poker, and the people who become obsessed with playing it, Sorkin impressively doesn’t allow its rich lingo and terminology to overwhelm viewers who might not be as familiar with the game. He uses a few nice camera tricks to better visualize specific moments where the cards take center stage, but more often trusts his crisp dialogue to help educate his audience.
Sorkin also wisely uses Chastain’s voice throughout the film to place viewers squarely in her head, watching her memories unfold. It’s a calculated risk, as often voiceovers can prove distracting, but, especially in the movie’s early moments, Sorkin’s razor-sharp script establishes the tone that will permeate his entire film. By the time Chastain lets loose with the first of her many delicious Sorkin F-bombs, the audience is hooked.
Bloom accepts her role in her own downfall and refuses to destroy other lives to avoid prison by cooperating, even as the men who trusted her confidence and profited from her actions are quick to cast her under the courthouse.
It’s a brave stance that earns her the respect not only of her attorney, Charlie Jaffey (a magnetic Idris Elba), but also the federal judge in charge of her sentencing.
Molly’s Game is not just a showcase for Chastain and Elba. Sorkin spreads the riches across an impressive, and surprising, roster of actors (Chris O’Dowd, Michael Cera and Jeremy Strong) who all make the most of his fantastic gift for crafting eloquent and explosive speeches.
One of the film’s best delights is a stellar supporting turn by Kevin Costner as Bloom’s father, Larry, a man whose shame at his own infidelities fueled a tyrannical push to mold his only daughter into a resilient and relentless perfectionist, both on the ski slopes and in life.
What sets Molly’s Game apart from the typical ‘spectacular rise and spectacular fall’ film genre, which includes GoodFellas, The Wolf of Wall Street and the recent American Made, is Bloom herself.
This is not the story of a calculated criminal mastermind with evil machinations.
This is the tale of a young woman who used her intelligence to outsmart and profit off a cabal of powerful men who dismissed her as just a pretty face, the dream girl enabler of their various addictions.
In a year punctuated by the real-life culling of prominent but abusive men across the globe, many of whom have still refused to admit culpability, it’s so refreshing to watch a strong woman stand tall, own her mistakes and refuse to compromise her principles, even at the likely cost of her freedom.
Molly’s Game
4 1/2 of 5 stars.
R. 140 minutes.
Directed by Aaron Sorkin.
Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd and Jeremy Strong.
Now playing.
