Molly’s Game

Screenwriting auteur Aaron Sorkin makes his directorial debut and opts for a safe bet with Molly’s Game.

The story structure is as familiar as any other based-on-a-true-story films. The rise and fall of a underground poker mogul, interspersed with past and present events, finished with a obligatory inspirational closing sequence. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with that. What is truly holding back the film is the overall writing and style. The exposition-heavy voiceover are mostly just chunky explanation of what is already shown on screen. There is nothing really discernible in terms of the visual style. Sorkin delivers some of his famed, rapid-fire dialogue but the ones that really hit are few and far between. The lengthy dialogue often does a disservice in conveying the character’s motivations which makes it hard to fully engage with the story. The film is of course salvaged by controlled and steady delivery from Jessica Chastain who is as always a trustworthy performer.

It’s functional enough to entertain you for a spare afternoon but there’s not much else to say about it.

(Originally posted on 31 Jan 2018 @projectunwrapped)