brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (15 September 2018)

Molly's Game tells the story of a woman who runs a celebrity poker game until the cops nab her. But director Aaron Sorkin's focus is not nearly that narrow. While he shows the glitter and the seaminess of high-stakes poker, he offers up Molly, brilliantly played by Jessica Chastain, as a complex and multifaceted character, starting not with poker but with her attempt to make the Olympics.
Molly is fascinating; smart, prickly, and fiercely ethical. And, since this is a Sorkin script, she's also incredibly sharp and witty, especially when she spares with her lawyer, terrifically played by Idris Elba.
This is Sorkin's first film as a director and he hits it out of the park. The movie is stylish and riveting, and he does a beautiful job of explaining Molly's world, even putting graphs and arrows on screen to make sure you get it.
Funny, touching and engaging, Molly's Game makes it clear that Sorkin should direct all his scripts from now on.