A Tense Legal Drama and a Slick Poker Movie Rolled Into One

Rating: 8/10 (16 March 2019)

Molly's Game is as smart and stylish as any movie now in theaters. Part poker movie, part legal drama, part biography, it tells a deeply intriguing story about a fascinating woman, and is all the better for being mostly true.
Jessica Chastain gives a wonderful performance as Molly. She's smart, fierce, often funny, sometimes deeply vulnerable, and above all sympathetic. She makes you really root for a poker millionaire who by her own admission knowingly broke federal gaming laws. And why not? She lost her Olympic dreams to a freak accident, was repeatedly screwed over by her male associates, nearly killed by the mob, and after all that refuses sell out any of her clients for a better deal. The movie may work too hard to remind us too often that's she's a good girl who made some mistakes, but Chastain's performance sells it.
There's also some very good work by the supporting cast. Kevin Costner is cast well as Molly's insightful and supportive, if sometimes overbearing semi-estranged father. Idris Elba makes a real impression as her lawyer. Strait laced and honest to a fault, he makes a great foil to Molly's eccentric stubbornness. And it's his attempts to understand his seemingly irrational client that make her and her story unfold. And Michael Cera plays very strongly against type as Player X, a top Hollywood celeb and A grade jerk who plays not for money or love of the game but because he "enjoys destroying peoples' lives."
The screenplay and editing are superb as the acting. Molly's Game makes heavy use of flashbacks to slowly unwind its story, jumping from her career ending run on the slopes to her arrest, then back and forth from Molly's meetings with her lawyer to the games she ran. The structure really adds to the tension and keeps the audience guessing, while the frequent changes of scenery help it maintain a brisk pace. Writer-director Aaron Sorkin also does an excellent job of setting the tone. He knows when to be funny and when to be dramatic, or even scary. Surprisingly little time is actually spent in courtroom or talking to the feds, but the film still generates as much tension as the best legal thriller.
And the poker scenes are very good. Fast paced, boisterous, and featuring Molly's constant observations, they hold your attention and flesh out the minor characters without stealing the focus from the larger narrative. Watching this movie makes you feel like you almost know something about poker. A complete novice will learn just enough to keep track of the game while still being duly impressed with its speed and complexity.
At times there is a feeling at the back of your mind that maybe this is a somewhat sanitized version of events. I wonder if her adamant refusal to name names is purely a matter of principle, or from fear of retribution- legal or otherwise. I also find it somewhat hard to believe that someone of her smarts and sophistication wouldn't know to steer clear of big spending Russians from Brighton Beach. But then again, I suppose it's possible that someone on as many drugs as she was could make that mistake. And the fact that she didn't realize another regular was a federal informant lends credence to the idea.
Either way, there's no denying that this is a highly entertaining and very well-made film, and as true as anything from Hollywood ever is. If you're looking for something better than the average January fare and don't mind an R rating, then this is your movie.