Story unworthy of Sorkin

Rating: 6/10 (12 January 2020)

I also believe Aaron Sorkin is a genius, and this is the kind of expert treatment we would expect of him. The subject matter makes for compelling entertainment. But. I just can't figure out why he took this on. Molly Bloom, if the story is taken at face value, is an especially intelligent woman with unusual potential. For reasons summarily revealed at the climax, she chose to arrange high-stakes poker games instead of developing her talent in some way that would contribute to society. In the process, she put herself in the company of dangerous people and before too long it splashed back on her. She's not a hero, although the movie implies that angle. So, absent any real moral tension (the late-stage attempt to create some around her plea is over almost before it starts), we are left with only the trademark snappy repartee and bigger-than-life characters. The result is like a bag of your favorite potato chips; very tasty in the beginning but toward the bottom of the bag, you wish the bag was smaller.