‘You know what makes you feel okay about losing? Winning...’
Aaron Sorkin is undoubtedly one of the best writers of his generation. His record speaks for itself. A Few Good Men, The West Wing, Social Network, Steve Jobs… the list goes on. When Sorkin moved into directing, there was a target on his back. An element of ‘stay in your lane’. This is perhaps why Molly’s Game initially went under the radar. Since then, Sorkin has directed a pair of well received and Oscar nominated movies in the shape of The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Being the Ricardos, and so, it is perhaps time to return to Molly’s Game…
Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) enters the murky world of high stakes poker tournaments following a career ending skiing injury as a teenager. When rising through the ranks, she must deal with a shitty boss (Jeremy Strong), an overbearing father (Kevin Costner), and a celebrity poker player who tries to take over (Michael Cera).
I will begin by stating that it is a testament to the Sorkin pull that such a great cast lined up to feature in this movie. Aside from the aforementioned you can also throw Bill Camp, Joe Keery, Idris Elba and Chris O’ Dowd into the mix. This ensemble cast keep things moving with one charismatic character often leaving the story to be immediately replaced by another. Cera is great (apparently the real life celebrity poker player was Tobey Maguire), and Camp is as engaging as ever in his panic inducing role. Heck, even Elba, an actor I normally can’t stand, manages to contribute something other than his usual flat, forgettable performance.
This being Sorkin, the script is great, perhaps even a little too wordy and verbose in places, but mostly defined by the whip smart back-and-forths that we have come to expect from such an accomplished and celebrated writer. Crucially, the real life story upon which this film is based is an astonishing one, a meteoric rise that calls to mind gangster movies like Goodfellas but with a feminine twist – aided by a magnificent performance from Chastain.
Molly’s Game is an assured and entertaining debut feature from Sorkin, and one that deserves to find a wider audience following the success of his subsequent projects.