I saw an early screening of Molly's Game-- as an Aaron Sorkin fan, it was one of my most anticipated films of 2017. I'd say it met my expectations but solidified my view that he's best when paired with a strong director.
The Good:
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The classic breakneck pace dialogue is in full swing. Plenty of scenes with two people having three conversations at once, endless citing of obscure facts, and impossibly witty banter.
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Great cast. Jessica Chastain is a powerhouse, even though we don't get to see a huge range of emotion from the character of Molly Bloom (mostly steely determination). Chris O'Dowd was an unexpected standout--he had some hilarious lines.
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Speaking of hilarious, there were a few A+ jokes in the middle of intense scenes that brilliantly cut the tension.
The Bad:
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The cinematography was workmanlike to the extreme. I found it to be distracting just how much the film favored dialogue above all else--yes, it's a Sorkin production, but there was so little artistry or scenes with just silence/score to let the movie breathe, which really helped balance out The Social Network and Steve Jobs. A major part of this story's appeal is the look behind the curtain at the "glamorous" celebrity poker parties. It's fine if the film wants to destroy that illusion, but at least build it up before tearing it all down?
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The voice-over. Yes, this was adapted from a book, but I can't remember a movie I've seen with THIS much voice-over. Sorkin takes the adage "show, don't tell" and sets it on fire. Every single character was introduced with Molly's witty voice-over biography. Every plot point was explained in the same way. It definitely got to be tiresome after a while. Sorkin managed to set up the much more complex concepts of Moneyball without falling back on nearly as much voice-over.
Overall, this satisfied my craving for a relentless movie with about 18 major plot points, and I'd recommend it, but wish it had a bit more artistic flair.
Submitted December 16, 2017 at 07:31AM by AgentGravitas http://ift.tt/2kw9ymG