WHAT WE THINK:
OUR SCORE:
– A biopic film that tries to hide some stumbles in the directing cabin with a great pace.
JUST A FEW WORDS (IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT):
A biopic film is always a big risk for every director. Even more, if in the directing chair there is a writer left free to roam and use all his knowledge to tell a story like Molly Bloom’s.
Molly’s Game is the directorial debut of Aaron Sorkin, a celebrated writer of numerous films, playwrights and TV series. The quality of Sorkin’s pen is not in question and the likelihood of real events neither.
What does not convince us is the directorial approach to this film which is resolved in an unbridled series of sequences that try to maintain a rather high rhythm, but which end up becoming repetitive and won’t avoid some directing tumbles (the sequence in which Molly is beat by the gangster is absolutely obscene and fails to convey the right emotion). Another factor that ruins the film is the numerous presence of continuity errors, which we cannot help pointing out.
A separate discussion would be needed to deal with the choice of costumes that are always on the borderline between the fetishization of the female body and, conversely, the intention of outlining an extremely superficial world that Molly Bloom keeps by the head (often and willingly, a male head and never underlined as so but clearly slightly sexist): it is she who holds the game in her hand, and it is she who decides what is right or not for herself, while she is a skilled navigator in a sea of lies (starting with those told by the father’s character).
On the other hand, however, we have to highlight that the direction of the actors – and in particular of Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba – is of excellent level and results in a high level of performance by both.
In short, a film that we did not particularly like, but of which we recognize a certain precision of pen which, however, is lost in the transformation into the audiovisual language.
Try it again, Aaron!
PROS:
- Jessica Chastain’s and Idris Elba’s acting.
- The rhythm.
CONS:
- The gangster sequence is really bad.
- Continuity errors.
- A certain degree of kitsch taste, especially in the choice of costumes.
What do you think of this film? Please leave a comment below and let us know!
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GENERAL INFO:
7.4
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