Review of Molly's Game (2017) by Omar L — 28 Dec 2017

When Sorkin's writing is good, it is really good. The rhythm of his syntax can be melodic, even if the content of his words is simply a rattling off of facts, figures, or famous quotes. He knows how to punctuate dialogue between two people with a back and forth that gives both players equal time with an equal amount of depth.

Here we have a movie about a character whose story isn't really all that interesting given deeper thought. Molly Bloom's arc is nothing that we haven't seen before in every single rags-to-riches, made-it-on-my-own-with-nothing-but-my-wits, VH1-behind-the-music, got-to-the-top-and-crashed-hard stories.

Her story isn't special, but by God, Sorkin and Chastain want you to believe she is. And they succeed. Chastain's performance as a woman who knows exactly what she's capable of and how she's seen by the men around her is magnetic.

There should be an award for décolletage, and Chastain would win it hands down. Of course, there is always the problem of Sorkin's writing for female characters. While this movie fares better than most of his other works, it still features a woman who requires the strong men in her life to make her realize where she went wrong.