‘Molly’s Game’ makes for an enjoyable tumble
Aaron Sorkin has a knack for timing, and not just in the obvious way.
The Oscar-winning writer of “The Social Network,” “Moneyball” and other fast-talking, crackling scripts has been celebrated for his mile-a-minute wordplay. But he’s also been criticized for not exactly featuring complex, strong female characters in the male-centric worlds of his stories.
In “Molly’s Game,” his first film with a female protagonist and his directorial debut, Sorkin turns that around, presenting one of the more interesting female characters this season. There’s obviously no better time for this change in focus. And he could have chosen no better partner in crime — white-collar crime, that is — than Jessica Chastain, one of the most intelligent and watchable actresses in movies today.
So far, so good. Chastain plays Molly Bloom, who went from being an Olympic skiing hopeful to spending years running highstakes, celebrity-studded poker games in Los Angeles and New York, hosting names like Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio, until it all came crashing down when the Russian mob got involved and the FBI showed up, arresting her as part of an illegal gambling operation. She faced prison time but was ultimately cleared of many charges and got off with probation, a fine and community service.
It’s an engrossing story on its own, but Sorkin also chooses to portray Bloom as a sort of feminist heroine, who triumphed over the victimizing whims of the men around her — slimy (mostly) gamblers, an abusive boss, violent mobsters, and even her own father (an excellent Kevin Costner), a hard-driving sports dad and also a preachy psychologist. It’s a problematic choice, because it feels like it’s denying this obviously intelligent and capable protagonist the ability to make any of her own choices and mistakes.