Molly's Game: Gambling, drugs, alcohol, FBI, Russian mafia

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2018)

This is a drama and true story of Molly Bloom. She was a former Olympic worthy freestyle skier, who while competing suffered a terrible career ending fall.
During the opening sequence we see the FBI arresting her for connections with a Russian money laundering operation. Also during an early flashback sequence we see that Molly had massive issues with her overbearing father, who was also her ski coach. This tense relationship ultimately translated into her later desire to control men.
She moves to LA and becomes both a waitress and also PA to a real pillock of a guy. She starts by helping him to run illegal high stakes poker games before branching out on her own to become the leader of the most exclusive underground poker games in the world, entirely played by powerful men.
This is a long film, full of heavy dialogue and narration, with excellent award worthy performances from Jessica Chastain, as Molly. Idris Elba, as her lawyer and Kevin Costner, as her pushy father. Look out for the emotional 'therapy' scene between father and daughter on a bench scene towards the end.
Recommended viewing.