Molly's Game: Alles auf eine Karte

Nothing comes close to the rush of winning, at least according to those who have succeeded where others have failed. Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) managed to become a millionaire with a dose of luck, will and endless street smarts. The former professional skier ran high stakes poker-games in Los Angeles and New York and found herself in the middle of a federal investigation, where she was accused of colluding with organized crime.

Being a sucker for great stories of real life characters, it is easy to see what Aaron Sorkin saw in the very true tale of Molly Bloom. The American ethos of being No. 1 combined with the isolation and principles of its heroine make "Molly's Game" a tremendous playing field for Sorkin's directorial debut.

Even though he has dealt with themes of power, loyalty and the darker side of entrepreneurial endeavors in "The Social Network", "Newsroom", "Steve Jobs" and "Moneyball", what sets this story apart is that Sorkin chooses to layer the rise-and-fall of the titular character with questions about business morals and the loss of a more principled economic system, that has been washed away by fast-buck artists and fatalistic devil-may-care attitudes.

"Molly's Game" has a speedy pace, marvelous performances by both Chastain and Idris Elba, as her lawyer, and is directed with a sure hand. Which makes Sorkin's first directorial outing a joy to watch.

It's two-hour-plus running time glides by like a breeze and ends on a corny yet truthful note about the virtues of failure, that is a glimmer of hope in times of struggle, as well as one of the tenets of screen writing.

The fight, the hustle and the failure never end, but then again, so do the rewards in their own funny way. You win some, you lose some, and Sorkin never seems to forget how close he is to the edge.

Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut is a solid, entertaining entry from 2017. His script is full of his trademark rapid-fire dialogue and keeps the film moving at a brisk pace. The voiceover can be a bit exhausting at times, but it adds a lot of context to the film. Chastain and Elba are both terrific and each get their moments to shine. The film is a tad long, but it's never dull. Molly's Game is a very interesting true story that lends itself well to cinema.

Molly Bloom very clearly played a role in writing this movie about herself. She's made out to be some sort of David fighting Goliath, struggling innocently against evil mobsters and prosecutors who want to "unjustly" put her away. I mean look at how selfless she is for not selling her secrets to TMZ! Wow! What a noble woman just trying to make ends meet (nevermind her lavish lifestyle and annual income >$4 million.....)

Is this what it takes to become a self-proclaimed champion of righteousness in today's day and age? Can Molly Bloom really seriously be considered a "hero" for not exposing Hollywood's dirty slime?? This movie tries to make it seem like she's the second coming of Christ. WTF.

In reality Ms. Molly ran a risky business and got sloppy, and ended up paying the price for that sloppiness. End of story. There was no need to make this melodramatic overdrawn movie about her occupation.

This fast-paced true story (inspired by) feels like a thriller at times as Molly navigates the high stakes men's world of gambling. Jessica Chastain is believable as a woman who pulled off this "game."

Interesting story that is a lot more than just some illegal poker games. It has great acting and digs deep into the politics in our society on many different levels. There has been a lot of power driven women films released this year but this one is at the top of its game.