Le Grand Jeu

Molly Bloom very clearly played a role in writing this movie about herself. She's made out to be some sort of David fighting Goliath, struggling innocently against evil mobsters and prosecutors who want to "unjustly" put her away. I mean look at how selfless she is for not selling her secrets to TMZ! Wow! What a noble woman just trying to make ends meet (nevermind her lavish lifestyle and annual income >$4 million.....)

Is this what it takes to become a self-proclaimed champion of righteousness in today's day and age? Can Molly Bloom really seriously be considered a "hero" for not exposing Hollywood's dirty slime?? This movie tries to make it seem like she's the second coming of Christ. WTF.

In reality Ms. Molly ran a risky business and got sloppy, and ended up paying the price for that sloppiness. End of story. There was no need to make this melodramatic overdrawn movie about her occupation.

What makes this movie interesting is that it is based on a true story. That alone makes you watch the movie with different eyes. And even if I didn't understand all the details fully as it was sometimes complicated to understand all the legal terminology, certainly for a guy like me that has a different language than English, it got all my attention during 140 minutes. A long movie that doesn't get boring, there are not much of those. The cast is well chosen and they all contributed to the good story. Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom has the perfect physique to play that character. It seems that Idris Elba only plays in good movies so when I see his name I'm already excited to watch that movie. Molly's Game is an interesting story, even for people that have absolutely nothing in common with poker and rich people. Better than I expected.

Nothing comes close to the rush of winning, at least according to those who have succeeded where others have failed. Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) managed to become a millionaire with a dose of luck, will and endless street smarts. The former professional skier ran high stakes poker-games in Los Angeles and New York and found herself in the middle of a federal investigation, where she was accused of colluding with organized crime.

Being a sucker for great stories of real life characters, it is easy to see what Aaron Sorkin saw in the very true tale of Molly Bloom. The American ethos of being No. 1 combined with the isolation and principles of its heroine make "Molly's Game" a tremendous playing field for Sorkin's directorial debut.

Even though he has dealt with themes of power, loyalty and the darker side of entrepreneurial endeavors in "The Social Network", "Newsroom", "Steve Jobs" and "Moneyball", what sets this story apart is that Sorkin chooses to layer the rise-and-fall of the titular character with questions about business morals and the loss of a more principled economic system, that has been washed away by fast-buck artists and fatalistic devil-may-care attitudes.

"Molly's Game" has a speedy pace, marvelous performances by both Chastain and Idris Elba, as her lawyer, and is directed with a sure hand. Which makes Sorkin's first directorial outing a joy to watch.

It's two-hour-plus running time glides by like a breeze and ends on a corny yet truthful note about the virtues of failure, that is a glimmer of hope in times of struggle, as well as one of the tenets of screen writing.

The fight, the hustle and the failure never end, but then again, so do the rewards in their own funny way. You win some, you lose some, and Sorkin never seems to forget how close he is to the edge.

A fast, excellently written and well-cast film. Jessica Chastain plays outstandingly well as both a fragile beginner, a brilliant winner as well as a strong woman. I would advise everyone to take a look at this strip.

This fast-paced true story (inspired by) feels like a thriller at times as Molly navigates the high stakes men's world of gambling. Jessica Chastain is believable as a woman who pulled off this "game."