Review: ‘Molly’s Game’ Highlights Strong Performances and Writing, but Suffers Some in its Direction

Acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin makes his directorial debut with this slick drama that tells the story of Molly Bloom, and her time as an Olympic class skier turned high stakes poker game runner. With her clients said to include A-Listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and Tobey Maguire, “Molly’s Game” takes audiences to the elusive side of Hollywood full of lucrative poker games and dozens of other A-List stars. The film isn’t entirely truthful to Molly’s life, changing names and moving around timelines to fit Sorkin’s narrative, but still manages to be a somewhat entertaining flick. 

Jessica Chastain gives a remarkable performance as former poker princess Molly Bloom. The film follows Bloom as she goes from an Olympic-level skier, attempting to qualify for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but when injury strikes she is forced to kiss her dreams of an Olympic career goodbye. Finding herself in Los Angeles, Molly goes from working as a bottle service waitress to running her own poker games in both Los Angeles and New York. Her clients include some of Hollywood’s top stars as well as members of the Russian Mafia and the New York elite. What comes next is a strenuous legal battle, with Molly facing 10 years in prison for various offences, including illegal gambling and money laundering. 

Jessica Chastain Leads an All-Star Cast

Chastain leads a talented cast including Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera. Elba stars opposite Chastain playing Bloom’s lawyer in the film, Charles Jaffey, (who wasn’t Bloom’s real lawyer, but in fact a way for Sorkin to insert his own opinions into the film. His strong performance is unfortunately undermined by a patchy American accent. “Superbad” star Michael Cera gives a sinister turn as the mysterious and destructive ‘Player X’ (a player widely believed to be based on Tobey Maguire). 

Aaron Sorkin once again delivers with a sharp script, full of rapid-fire dialogue that makes “Molly’s Game” an enjoyable film, even if it does drag a little during the third act. However, the amount of poker and legal lingo in the script makes it all a little confusing for your average moviegoer, who may not be familiar with the complex world of poker. Sorkin’s ability to compose an impressive script unfortunately doesn’t transfer over to his directing abilities. This is a solid directorial debut from the Academy Award winner, but his directing skills aren’t anything to obsess over. 

Sorkin Pens a Great Script; it Suffers Some from Directing Though

Chastain’s turn as Molly Bloom and Sorkin’s acerbic script are arguably the highlights of the film, working together to bring Bloom’s fascinating story to the screen in an entertaining way — albeit accompanied by some questionable editing choices. “Molly’s Game” not only informs viewers on the lavish lifestyle Bloom led, but it also gives audiences an insight how this secretive world of poker works. 

Aaron Sorkin manages to bring an enjoyable biopic to audiences with “Molly’s Game.” A knockout performance from Jessica Chastain, strong supporting performances from Idris Elba and Michael Cera, and a sharp script from Sorkin makes the film one of the better biopics to come in recent years. However, the hefty run-time and mediocre directing prevents “Molly’s Game” from leaving a bigger mark on its viewers. 

 

 

 

 

“Molly’s Game” is currently available to stream on Netflix, and rent from most streaming services. 

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