Look at all my words

Rating: 5/10 (7 May 2018)

Let me start by saying that I absolutely LOVE Aaron Sorkin. I really enjoy the movies he's written and his television shows are among my all time favorites. In fact, I have even said on more than one occasion that I believe that his name will go down in the history of great American writers along with people like Mark Twain.
I am also a big fan of Jessica Chastain, of poker and of writer/directors. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited for this movie, especially when I heard that Mr. Sorkin would be making his directorial debut.
Unfortunately, it seems that not all directors can/should write and that, at least this writer, can't direct. I know that it is his first time in the chair, but he has been in the business for over 25 years and has had the opportunity and privilege to work with some true masters of the craft. Yet he managed to fall into what is possibly the biggest trap for someone in his position by ignoring one of the basic rules of the medium: "Show, don't tell.".
This movie had more voice over narration that I've EVER heard in another film before. Don't get me wrong, when done properly I think this device can be extremely useful for both efficiently moving the story forward and effectively creating emotional investment and impact. This was not the case in Molly's Game.
Aaron's words didn't have any of their normal spark or edge. There was no music to the language. The voice over and the dialogue were both incredibly flat and unengaging. The words themselves weren't even that interesting, there were just so many of them and with every additional one it made the last that much less significant. I haven't read the book that this screenplay was adapted from, but at times I wondered if entire sections of the narration weren't just being read verbatim from it.
I really think I could have closed my eyes and just listened to this "movie" and got about 80-90% of the experience. Honestly, the only visual element Sorkin seemed willing or capable of paying any attention too were the lead actresses admittedly lovely curves that were so frequently highlighted in the vast array of expensive dresses she wore throughout the film. I'm certainly not opposed to a little female based visual stimulation, but it isn't really the type of "smart" content I've come to expect and adore from one of my favorite creators.
It seems that I am in the minority with these opinions and I hope that those of you who would disagree with me were able to take something meaningful from this film because I was just left wondering why I just spent nearly two and a half hours of my time enduring a film that barely grabbed by attention once.
Here's hoping that this was a minor glitch in an otherwise stellar career and not a sign of things to come.