A Grande Jogada

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.

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.

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.

I don't think Molly Bloom could have been cast any better than with Jessica Chastain... she nailed her role. Oddly enough, she looks similar to the actual Molly Bloom.

Great film, love the fact this is based on a true story, and what a great story it was. The rest of the cast were great and the directing was decent, although too much back and forth between many timelines.

8.5 rounded up to 9/10 from me for Chastain's excellent performance.

A fast, excellently written and well-cast film. Jessica Chastain plays outstandingly well as both a fragile beginner, a brilliant winner as well as a strong woman. I would advise everyone to take a look at this strip.