Le Grand Jeu

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.

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.

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."

What makes this movie interesting is that it is based on a true story. That alone makes you watch the movie with different eyes. And even if I didn't understand all the details fully as it was sometimes complicated to understand all the legal terminology, certainly for a guy like me that has a different language than English, it got all my attention during 140 minutes. A long movie that doesn't get boring, there are not much of those. The cast is well chosen and they all contributed to the good story. Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom has the perfect physique to play that character. It seems that Idris Elba only plays in good movies so when I see his name I'm already excited to watch that movie. Molly's Game is an interesting story, even for people that have absolutely nothing in common with poker and rich people. Better than I expected.

The focus is clear and yet cold and distant unless Idris Elba is on the frame. He is a human with his complexities but without barriers. He is open, accessible. Jessica Chastain is a technical marvel to be admired but it is hard, very hard to warm up to her. I felt I needed to see in her what Idris Elba saw and I could do it with my head but not my heart. In any case, it is a brilliant performance. Aaron Sorkin writes and directs this time with remarkable self confidence. The film, like the script is clinically sharp, surgical actually. I bet it's also a great read. For Aaron Sorkin's fans and I count myself as one, this is a must.