Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a former Olympic hopeful skier who while working in LA before law school ended up organizing high-stakes poker games including clientele like movie stars, professional athletes, royalty, and eventually the Italian and Russian mobs. After experiencing the highs and lows of the risky enterprise and getting out of the game, Molly is arrested by the FBI and must turn to high-powered attorney Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba). While formulating her defense, Molly learns more about herself and how she ended up where she did.
Molly’s Game is a story examining addiction and its causes. The participants in Molly’s high stakes games are gambling addicts but the core of what drove their impulses were all different. For Player X (Michael Cera) the Hollywood actor, he was addicted to delving out suffering to his opponents through his victory at the table. Molly’s boss Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong) had an addiction to importance and power, a need to emanate and be known for possessing both. For Molly, her compulsion to continue to raise the profile and reputation of the poker games she organized was driven by her need to compete and be the best. The origin of this compulsion was her tumultuous relationship with her controlling, demanding, philandering father Professor Larry Bloom (Kevin Costner). Her need to conquer whatever goal was in front of her, particularly when the opposing figures were men can be traced to the subconscious yearning within her to confront the one man who has her ire the most. In the film, Molly could not truly confront her present until coming to terms with her past.
Molly’s Game has two distinct timelines, one following Molly’s federal case for being involved with the Russian mafia through her games and the other being a flashback showing how she rose through the underground world of high stakes poker and ended up under indictment in the first place. The film’s poker scenes are its high points, fast paced and completely enthralling, moving at the same speed as director Aaron Sorkin’s now trademark snappy and witty dialogue. Contrasting these are the current day scenes featuring Molly and her lawyer doing background on her case which are a little slow and plodding, adding little to the film until late in the third act with two superb performances from Elba, including a stirring monologue making the case for Molly’s innocence and an incredible back and forth with Chastain begging her to take the deal offered by the FBI.
Sorkin does well in his first time in the director’s chair, dictating a good pace that takes the viewer on a fast ride but also slows down when needed, not veering off from quick to frenetic. One thing that did jump out to me though was after the scene where Molly is assaulted, she remarks on her eyes that are blacked and swollen shut following the attack but, Chastain appears on screen with both eyes open wide. I thought it was a curious oversight not to go through with the makeup and prosthetics so that what we saw on screen matched the narration. But despite these little hiccups, Sorkin’s debut as director shows a lot of promise in matching his skill with a pen.
The performances by both actors bolster the film’s low points and accentuate its highs, particularly when keeping in mind how difficult it can be for an actor to execute Sorkin’s long, complicated dialogue. Chastain is on screen either physically or vocally for nearly every second of the film’s two hour and twenty minute runtime, something that could’ve easily turned into a negative with a lesser performance, but Chastain is able to remain engaging and captivating without wearing on the audience at all. She carries the film as required of her ably and without fault. Elba does well in portraying his character and arc; an attorney reluctant to take on a risky case and client who gradually develops a fondness and belief in her innocence. His aforementioned two big performances in the film’s third act are sensational and worthy of recognition.
Molly’s Game is a movie that grabs you and doesn’t let go. It’s a fast moving, interesting story with performances to match the well crafted script. Aaron Sorkin’s debut as a director is a great first step in his journey behind the camera, despite a few mistakes that are to be expected. Still, his ability to draw out the performances from stars Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba seem to be a harbinger of good things to come.
Image: STX Films
