Famed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut is an entertaining accomplishment that delivers an engaging experience that will leave one thoroughly satisfied
Its finally happened–Aaron Sorkin has begun his metamorphosis into a bonafide auteur. After years of writing award-winning TV shows and Oscar-nabbing films, it appears that Sorkin has grown tired of being chained to the typewriter and has now set his eyes on the director’s chair as well. Sorkinians are likely rejoicing to see the dialogue heavy screenwriter be given the freedom to have as many walk-and-talks as his heart desires.
Fortunately, Sorkin seldom enters the proverbial West Wing-born technique, instead relying on a frenetic editing pace that even more hypnotically, albeit overwhelmingly, instills Sorkin’s blazing intellect. Beyond the smart script and wondrous performances by both Idris Elba and Jessica Chastain, it seems that the director’s chair is a good fit for Sorkin, who seamlessly transitions into the role that we all were ultimately waiting for.
Many might be conned into thinking that Molly’s Game is a cash-in, cash-out poker flick. Don’t be fooled–all the game serves as is a vehicle to the much more engaging story which is that of Molly Bloom. After all, Sorkin himself admitted that he had never even played the game. It was all just for Molly. From her incredible Olympic skiing career to her meteoric rise in the underground poker world, Bloom is without doubt the centerpiece of this film. She is a force to be reckoned with, snapping necks and cashing checks on the way to fierce success.
Before she entered the high-stakes world of underground poker, Bloom was a cutthroat competitor in the skiing community. That skill was undoubtedly honed by her equally ruthlessly ambitious clinical psychologist of a father, Larry (Kevin Costner), who is decidedly more upset when she suffers a career-ending injury. With no other economic prospects and a thoroughly disappointed father, Bloom soon finds herself helping to run an underground celebrity poker. But soon enough, the confident and quick-witted Bloom has outgrown the basement setting of her first game and subsequently sets up her own game, raking in more money than she knows what to do with.
Again, it can seem like a derivative, hackneyed story on its façade, but Molly’s Game is hardly that. With a noticeable Wolf of Wall Street-inspired pace and Goodfellas-esque direction, it seems Aaron Sorkin has gleaned quite a bit from his MasterClass colleague. Perhaps Sorkin took advantage of that employee discount to learn a thing or two from the multi-Oscar-winning director–it certainly sure seems like it. From the outspoken, confident, and sharp narration to the intense level of detail, Molly’s Game appears to pays homage to Scorsese in every which way it can while maintaining its own uniqueness along the way.
But perhaps the people Mr. Sorkin has to be most grateful for are the members of his incredible cast. Each of the actors in the star-studded ensemble turn in career-high performances that keep viewers strapped to their seats. From the amiably amoral Chris O’Dowd to the strikingly compelling Michael Cera, the supporting actors glow when given their opportunity to shine. But perhaps more deserving of praise than anyone else are the fiery duo, Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba. The dynamism between the two characters is intensely palpable, with the two actors playing off each other’s energy in a dizzying manner. Whether it’s the hard-fought moral arguments or the touching humility, Chastain and Elba help propel Sorkin’s film to new heights of excellence.
Perhaps the only drawback to the film’s wildly entertaining sensibilities is its noted moments of uncomfortable tone-deafness. Whether it’s the scene in which Larry Bloom’s dresses down Molly’s in a troublingly rude and sexist manner (which is ironically coming from a psychologist) or Molly’s disturbingly never-ending vulnerability, many of the scenes seem like they belong more in the 1980s than in 2017. It’s a disappointing fault, one that undoubtedly blemishes this film’s otherwise compelling and entertaining story. Nonetheless, Sorkin’s directorial debut is an engaging endeavor that will certainly ensure that the screenwriter continue to direct his own work. I just hope the next time won’t have such bizarrely insensitive characterizations.
Molly’s Game premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is slated to hit theaters Christmas day.
