YOUR FILM REVIEW
GREG Thorp has been a huge film enthusiast from a very young age. He is a fan of Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson and Denis Villeneuve. One of his all-time favourite picks is Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones was one of the first films he had ever seen and is his favourite childhood film. You can email him with comments and observations at: gregthorpreviews@gmail.com All The Money In The World, 15, 132 mins, Imperative Entertainment. Starring: Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher Plummer Rating: 4 stars Director: Ridley Scott: ALL The Money In The World is about the destructive power of money and how extreme wealth can warp a man’s morals, driving a knife through basic ideas of humanity. The film is based on true incidents that took place in 1973. At the time, Jean Paul Getty was the wealthiest man not just in the world but in the history of the world. Getty’s 16-year-old grandson, also known as Paul, is kidnapped in Rome. The kidnappers demand a $17m ransom, Getty senior refuses with the belief that his other 14 grandchildren will be kidnapped for ransom also. Getty senior is practically insane and Christopher Plummer plays him to perfection. This character and his performance propel the film. It is dumbfounding to imagine now that the role was first played by Kevin Spacey but was struck from him in early November, when allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. Director Ridley Scott replaced Spacey with the 88-year-old Plummer who was absolutely breathtakingly flawless in the role. Nothing about his performance would have suggested that he was a last-minute addition. Getty senior is so horrific and hypnotic that you can’t help but want to predict and challenge every passage of speech and mannerism he emitted. Another great perfor- mance comes from Michelle Williams who plays Abigail, the mother of the kidnapped teenager. Abigail is divorced and is deficient of money. She is forced to beg her former father-in-law to offer the money. It is in these scenes she presents true emotions of despera- tion which are seamlessly displayed to us, commanding our empathy. Williams is profound as the wonderfully complex Abigail who eventually proves as resilient as her opponents. Mark Wahlberg makes slightly less impact as Getty’s ex-CIA operative but is justified as he is playing a role with much less emotional scenes and lacks clear personality traits. The character is one who we decidedly come to like however, with his endearing reformation throughout the film. Overall, this feature is a very well made and detailed thriller. Its scenes carry giant levels of emotion which was wonderfully handled and shown by the cast. Directed by such a renowned and respected man, it is truly nothing for him to be ashamed of.