MOLLY'S GAME (2017)

1/9/18 - Molly’s Game (2017) - 6-/10

Solid if not fun drama that sparked but never fully turned over. Full of flair and mile-a-minute wit, but the heart & soul was a tad impotent. The concept of the story (based on real events) provided the hook and Sorkin injected electricity through the tapping of his fingers & his trial to capture the same smart quips visually, but this ride would have had fewer pits stops and wrong turns if he hadn’t been at the helm. He adroitly maps out the path, but master operator of this two ton speeding bullet he is not.

There is an intoxicating magic to his dialogue, as per usual. But, for the most part, his direction was flat and unimaginative. He tries to interject some of the hoppy razmataz he writes with at times, but the pacing and and visuals imitating his script didn’t quite work. The story also, despite his back & forth non-chronological telling, was passive. The emotionality was stiff and underdeveloped, save for a rushed and unsatisfactory “this is the reason” capper/denouement.

Not sure how to feel about the main star of this film: Chastain’s cleavage. It is pushed out there in every scene, to the point where it was definitely on purpose and quickly becoming offensive. I mean, she is a lovely woman, but there was an element of devolution into a breast window, mostly because it was just so much. Chastain, Elba, and Costner are all sturdy, but never extraordinary. 

Dialogue and structure were interesting and on point, but some of the culminations were lackluster. The emotional ramifications and fulfillment just didn’t quite come across. The film is an enjoyable experience, but a snippet overly long and bit underwhelming. The script is a shiny hot rod, but it struggles to disengage the parking brake.