Mr. Movie review: Sorkin’s touch makes ‘Molly’s Game’ a winning hand

‘Molly’s Game’

Molly’s Game is based on Molly Bloom’s autobiographical best seller. Drop dead gorgeous and understanding how to use her beauty, and that of Playboy playmates and other models, Bloom ran high stakes poker games in Los Angeles and New York City for a few years.

Billionaires, movie stars and mob and mafia figures attended her games.

Sometimes the chips on the table amounted to millions of dollars. Her games weren’t illegal. Neither were the millions she took home in tips. When she ultimately took a percentage of the pot, Bloom broke the law.

When one of the guys at her table gets busted, the FBI learns about Bloom and the game. They seize her assets, freeze her bank account and place her under arrest. Agents then put the squeeze on her to provide information about the bad guys who played at her tables. They committed various crimes ranging from money laundering to murder.

The question is will the FBI deal her a winning hand? Does she have an ace in the hole? Will Bloom’s hand hold? Or will she concede and fold?

Moviegoers who ante up the dollars for a ticket get a decent hand dealt to them by writer/director Aaron Sorkin. He casts Jessica Chastain as Bloom and Idris Elba is her lawyer. The supporting cast is perfect. Kevin Costner is Bloom’s controlling psychology professor dad. Michael Cera (TV’s Arrested Development) is Player X. He’s the actor whom Bloom refused to identify but whose name you can find easily online.

I’m not identifying the actor because a big part of the fun of Molly’s Game is trying to figure it out. Also unidentified are sports figures who attended the games done at (is it deliberately not mentioned?) Trump Tower.

Lots of positives. The best part of Chastain’s performance — and this goes to Sorkin’s excellent writing — is her narration. In a conversational, almost comic delivery, Chastain matter-of-factly lays out Bloom’s story and what drove her to run what could be the most expensive poker games in history.

Like Chastain, Elba puts on a straight face as Bloom’s poker-faced attorney, but underneath you know there’s a smile. He and Chastain banter like best buddies all through this delightful but dramatic film.

The real star here — however — is Sorkin. He is an exceptional writer whose résumé includes some of the best movies of the last couple of decades: Steve Jobs, Moneyball, The Social Network and A Few Good Men among them. This screenplay bounces seamlessly between Bloom’s past and present. Tack on Chastain’s superb narration, and Molly’s Game is straight-ahead terrific. No frills. Just great storytelling.

It’s getting award nominations, and more will be coming. Sorkin has dealt himself, his actors and you a royal flush.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Mr. Movie review: Sorkin’s touch makes ‘Molly’s Game’ a winning hand."