Food for the brain

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2018)

Overachiever Molly Bloom's promising skiing career is cut short by injury. Reacting against her domineering father, she ends up running dodgy poker games, initially for someone else, then on her own account. But she falls foul of the authorities who are after the organised crime people who play in them, and Molly seems like an easy target to enable them to get valuable inside information.
Based on true events, I have no idea whether Molly Bloom is as innocent or as principled as this film makes out. It doesn't matter - this is a strong and gripping story. And as well being a good story, I found myself thinking as the film ended that a good script makes an incredible difference. And the script here, by Aaron Sorkin (who also directs for the first time) is first rate. It isn't full of memorable, clever, unrealistic dialogue, but it is needle-sharp throughout the 140 minute running length.
The cast are excellent. Michael Cera plays strongly against type and, in a quiet performance, oozes an understated reptilian malice. Chris O'Dowd shows that he is not simply an Irish funny man, and Kevin Costner gives a beautifully nuanced portrayal of a man whose own hang-ups make him far more unpleasant than he needs to be. Idris Elba's American accent is more convincing than his native one. And Jessica Chastain, looking hot, holds things together as Molly, but doesn't come across as a particularly warm or likeable person, which may be how the character was intended to appear.
This was a good meaty watch - intelligent without being pretentious, and thoroughly engaging.