Fast paced true (if unlikely) story benefits from the "Aaron Sorkin treatment"

Rating: 7/10 (2 January 2018)

"Molly's Game" (2017 release; 140 min.) brings the story of Molly Bloom. As the movie opens, we watch Molly compete in the Salt Lake Olympic trials for freestyle skiing, seemingly poised to make the team, only to see her hopes dashed resulting from an improbable twig on the course. We then go to "12 Years Later, West Hollywood", where we find Molly being woken up by FBI agents who are at her apartment's door. Molly is arrested for running an illegal gambling operation. We then go back in time, as we see Molly arriving in LA after the Olympic trials, figuring out what she wants to do with her life. How did Molly get involved in illegal gambling? At this point we're 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the highly anticipated directing debut from writer Aaron Sorkin, whose previous script work includes "The Social Network" (for which he won an Oscar), "Moneyball" and "Steve Jobs", just to name those. Here he adapts Molly Bloom's memoir "Molly's Game" for the big screen. I read the memoir when it came out in 2014, and it was as unlikely a story as it was fascinating and entertaining. That Sorkin ends up writing/directing this movie makes perfect sense, as it feels entirely in line with some of his earlier work. The movie's frantic pace is nothing short of dizzying at times, and I was concerned that it would be unsustainable. But after that initial wave, the movie does slow down just enough that we settle in for what I can only term as a wild, wild ride. It blows the mind that all of this in fact did happen in real life. Jessica Chastain is masterful in the title role. Idris Elba as her (initially reluctant) lawyer is also quite good. Kevin Costner plays her dad (and psychologist), in a smaller role that cries out for more details but with a running time of well over 2 hours already, there apparently was no room to dig deeper into that. "The addiction is having power over powerful men", Costner's character tells Molly. Bottom line is that "Molly's Game" is a wickedly entertaining and fast-moving film that will at times overwhelm you. Just buckle up and enjoy!
"Molly's Game" opened in select theaters this weekend. The early evening screening on New Year's Day where I saw this at was absolutely packed to the rafters, somewhat to my surprise. The audience gave a spontaneous applause when the movie's end titles started to roll. This movie surely will generate positive word of mouth. If you are in the mood for a true story that is stranger than fiction, featuring some stellar acting performances, and all served up in the usual "Aaron Sorkin way", you cannot go wrong with this, and I encourage you to check it out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.