For his directorial debut, Aaron Sorkin could not have chosen a better true tale to tell. Molly’s Game, based on the life of the poker queen Molly Brown, features a knock-your-socks-off turn by Jessica Chastain performing a masterclass in that iconic Sorkin dialogue delivery.
Molly’s Game is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats and chronicles the you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it life story of Brown. She was a world-class skier, who was on her way to Olympic glory when injury gutted her chances.
With few other options that would fill her bank account with cold hard cash, she essentially fell into helping set up and run backroom poker games. Eventually, her prowess in that effort would lead her to become the foremost hostess of these illegal games in the country. Brown’s games would become events and find movie stars, sports figures, celebrities and business leaders vying for seats at the weekly pastime.
Soon, she would garner the attention of the FBI. That was due solely to the fact that she had unwillingly allowed Russian mobsters to join her circle of clients. Soon enough, the FBI would raid her, with semi-automatic weapons drawn. Brown would be the sole person charged. From the looks of things, she was certain to go down.
Lucky for her, she retained a lawyer named Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) who saw something in her that made him think that his client was being railroaded at the least and singled out because she was a woman in a man’s game at the most.
Molly’s Game is electric and pulsates with power from its actors, who all are adapt at wielding that poetic prose from Sorkin. Elba is as sensational as ever as Brown’s attorney and he is equally as custom built as Chastain for the 90 miles-per-hour conversations that are inherent in any Sorkin screenplay. The two of them together comprise a powerful cinematic force that elevate this Game to a must-play for all home video aficionados.
The legal and courtroom aspect is fascinating, sure, and fits right into the wheelhouse of Sorkin. What’s fascinating is that only The West Wing creator — who also brought us The Social Network (for which he won an Oscar) and Moneyball — could also craft a series of poker games that percolate with a vibrancy usually reserved for high-level political discourse.
It is a diverse group of people who comprise these games, but the stand-out has to be Michael Cera as Player X. Many a Hollywood actor was known to run in these games, so it is a salute to the smarts of the writer-director to craft a character that is a true composite of the A-list celebrities who frequented Brown’s games. Cera delivers insults, intrigue and carries himself with a panache that is pure Tinsel Town royalty… or perceived as such by a narcissistic soul.
Also fantastic in a smaller role is Kevin Costner, who portrays Brown’s driven father. One can see why Brown is who she is and why she triumphed where few — if any — women have before, all culled from flashbacks where we witness how she became such a prolific skier.
Did we mention that Brown did this all at the ripe old age of 26?
Molly’s Game is a stunning study in the American success machine and how many have strived for that elusive dream and taken whatever path they deemed necessary to achieve it. Sorkin makes a triumphant debut as director. Capturing his actors with his camera working his script like renaissance painters used their palettes could not have been the easiest of jobs for a first-time director. The director joins David Fincher and other top-notch helmers who have managed to capture lightning in a bottle with bringing his screenplays to life. Sorkin’s sense of tone, musical score and editing is of a league usually reserved for artists who have more than one film under their belts. We cannot wait to see what the director does next with the iconic screenwriter’s work.
When it comes to bonus features, there is only one, Building an Empire. Sorkin and Chastain take us inside the world of Bloom and her extraordinary story. Getting a first-hand understanding into this film that truly rides on those two’s shoulders is a stunning insight. This is one of those rare home video releases that doesn’t require more behind-the-scenes features than what is provided.
The film stands on its own and it is a must-own.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: B