Molly's Game

Based on the memoir by Molly Bloom, Molly’s Game is the story about a mogul skier who decides to run an underground poker empire that makes her rich until she gets the attention of the FBI. Written for the screen and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the film is a dramatic telling of Molly Bloom’s life story as she is a woman struggling to re-define herself after her dreams of being an Olympic skier fell apart while hoping to retain the new life that she created for herself as Bloom is portrayed by Jessica Chastain. Also starring Idris Elba, Jeremy Strong, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd, Joe Keery, Bill Camp, Brian D’Arcy James, and Kevin Costner. Molly’s Game is an intoxicating and chilling film from Aaron Sorkin.

Following a failed attempt to qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics as a mogul skier due to an unfortunate accident, Molly Bloom would reinvent herself in running an underground poker empire after working for an unsuccessful real estate dealer in planning his underground poker games and making something of herself until she gets the attention of the FBI. It’s a film with a simple premise as it play into a woman trying to create a new life for herself as she is driven to become successful on her own terms yet would put herself in dangerous when her gambling business include Russian mobsters that would attract unwanted attention as she turns to an attorney who tries to understand her as well as read her just-released memoir. Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay doesn’t exactly follow a traditional narrative as sort of moves back-and-forth into the life of Molly Bloom from when she’s running her poker enterprise as well as awaiting trial for the crimes she’s being accused of.

Notably as Bloom is someone who had wanted to become an Olympic skier as she was trained and motivated by her psychiatrist father Larry Bloom (Kevin Costner) whom she has a tense relationship with as she would rarely speak with him after her Olympic career ended. Though she was meant to go to law school, she instead moved to Los Angeles and took a year off where she was a bottle service waitress and then working for a real estate dealer who often had underground poker games that would feature various people including top poker players, major athletes, and a movie star in Player X (Michael Cera). Though she is successful in Los Angeles as she would forge her own career, things do get complicated where Sorkin’s script reveal what forced Bloom to move to New York City as well as exploring her own downfall as it relates to the people she would meet and their connection to the Russian mafia. Sorkin also reveal some of Bloom’s own motivations and her own growing sense of disdain towards men of power while turning to high-priced attorney Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) for counsel as he’s to defend her in court yet he is someone that would get to know her and wonder what she is all about.

Sorkin’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions as it is shot on various locations in New York City, Los Angeles, and parts of Canada including Toronto with the last of the three locations playing into Bloom’s early life and her time trying to become an Olympic skier. While Sorkin does create some unique wide shots to establish some of the locations, much of his direction is intimate in its usage of medium shots and close-ups to get an interaction into the characters as well as in the framing where the poker players are in the foreground playing while Bloom is in the background looking at her laptop and observing the game. Sorkin’s direction also play into the world of underground poker and how it’s a game of wit and control as Bloom is someone who likes to be in control of everything. Notably in the film’s first half that is set in Los Angeles where Bloom has gained control and lots of money until she sees a player completely lose it as well as learn about Player X’s activities when it comes to recruiting players.

The second half set in New York City that moves back-and-forth into Bloom’s meetings with Jaffey as well as her activities in the city as she had games in expensive hotel suites and a richer clientele but would also take some money from the games that would end up being illegal. Even as it involves a drunken Irish-American businessman in Douglas Downey (Chris O’Dowd) who would introduce Bloom to the Russians as Sorkin’s direction showcases this craziness that would occur. Notably in the third act as it relates to a client in Los Angeles who played at her games as well as many other things where Sorkin shows a woman who has been trying to do things her way in a man’s world yet finds herself going into this air of uncertainty about what to do next as she faces serious trouble despite Jaffey’s help. Overall, Sorkin crafts an evocative and compelling film about a woman running an underground poker empire that would eventually fall apart.

Cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward with some stylish lighting for the nighttime interiors to help set the mood of the poker games as well as some of the exterior scenes at night. Editors Alan Baumgarten, Josh Schaeffer, and Elliot Graham do fantastic work with the editing as it has some elements of style in its usage of montages, jump-cuts, and stylish fade-outs to play into the drama in the film. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Patricia Larman and art director Brandt Gordon, does brilliant work with the look of the hotel suites, bars, and such where some of the poker games occur as well as the New York apartment Bloom lived in and Jaffey’s office. Costume designer Susan Lyall does nice work with the costumes that include a lot of the stylish and cleavage-revealing dresses that Bloom wears when she’s at work as well as the casual clothes she would wear off-work.

Hair stylist Carol Hartwick and makeup artist Alastair Muir do amazing work with the look that Bloom would take in the years of making herself look presentable for her empire. Visual effects supervisor Aaron Weintraub does terrific work with the film’s minimal visual effects that include a few bits of set dressing including scenes during Bloom’s time as a skier. Sound editors Michael J. Benavente and David McCallum, along with sound designer Todd Toon, do superb work with the film’s sound in the atmosphere of intimate card games as well as some of the sounds that occur in poker houses and some of the quieter moments in Bloom’s home and Jaffey’s office. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton is wonderful for its low-key electronic score that play into the drama as well as some of the darker moments in the film while music supervisors Carlton Kaller and Sean Mulligan provide a soundtrack of music that is diverse ranging from artists/bands such as Thenewno2, Temple of the Dogs, Thunderpussy, the Raveonettes, Sly and the Family Stone, Alexander McCabe, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tommy James.

The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Piper Howell and Samantha Isler in their respective roles as the adolescent and teenage Bloom, Jon Bass as famous guy who tries to sell a Bloom a famous painting as collateral for a game, Claire Rankin as Bloom’s mother, Natalie Krill, Stephanie Herfield, Madison McKinley as a trio of former Playboy Playmates who work for Bloom in recruiting the players in New York City, Joe Keery as a trust fund guy named Cole, Angela Gots as a poker dealer named B who would give Bloom the idea to take a percentage of large pots, Justin Kirk as a NYC player named Jay, Whitney Peak as Jaffey’s teenage daughter Stella that Bloom befriends, J.C. MacKenzie as a federal prosecutor in Harrison Wellman who deals with Jaffey over Bloom’s case, and Graham Greene in a small yet effective performance as the judge in Bloom’s trial.

Bill Camp is terrific as a card shark in Harlan Eustice who is a skilled player that collapses after losing a game while Brian d’Arcy James is superb as a hedge fund manager in Brad who is one of the game’s worst players. Chris O’Dowd is fantastic as Douglas Downey as an Irish-American businessman that introduces Bloom to the Russians while Jeremy Strong is excellent as Bloom’s real estate developer boss who would introduce her to the world of underground poker and have her plan it only to realize that she does a better job than he does. Michael Cera is brilliant as Player X as a famous movie star who would help Bloom recruit players while doing things that make Bloom uncomfortable in Los Angeles. Kevin Costner is amazing as Bloom’s father Larry who was also her coach and a psychiatrist who had become estranged with Bloom due to their tumultuous relationship as he would appear in the third act not just to make amends with her but also understand why she is in such trouble.

Idris Elba is sensational as Charlie Jaffey as an attorney who takes Bloom’s case as he would also read her memoir where he asks some questions while trying to figure out as it is one of Elba’s finest performances including a scene where he defends Bloom as he realizes that she is really a good person despite the crimes she committed. Finally, there’s Jessica Chastain in a phenomenal performance as Molly Bloom as a woman who is driven to succeed though her hopes to be an Olympic skier is dashed forcing her to find other means yet becomes cunning in her pursuit. Chastain has this ferocity in her performance as someone that doesn’t quit but it’s also a flaw when she doesn’t know when it’s time to quit as it’s a role that has Chastain be part of some bad things but try to find an understanding of why she is driven to run an underground gambling empire that is often dominated by men.

Molly’s Game is an incredible film from Aaron Sorkin that features a great leading performance from Jessica Chastain. Along with a superb ensemble cast led by an amazing supporting performance from Idris Elba as well as Sorkin’s inventive and intriguing script that is filled with unique aspects of character study. The film is definitely a fascinating drama that explore a woman trying to succeed on her own terms in the world of underground poker that is often dominated by men. In the end, Molly’s Game is a sensational film from Aaron Sorkin.

(The Trial of the Chicago 7)

© thevoid99 2020

Spotlight (2015 film)

Directed by Thomas McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight is the story of reporters for The Boston Globe who uncover a major scandal involving sexual abuse of children in the hands of Catholic priests in Boston in 2002. The film is a dramatization of the events that would shake up the world of Catholicism in the hands of a group of journalists who struggle with their own upbringing as well as uncovering the truth to an entire city. Starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schrieber, Brian d’Arcy James, Billy Crudup, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci. Spotlight is a riveting and exhilarating film from Thomas McCarthy.

Set from the summer of 2001 to early 2002 in Boston at The Boston Globe, the film revolves the famed Spotlight investigative journalist team who are asked by the paper’s new editor to do a story about a sex abuse scandal involving a Catholic priest at a parish in Boston. There, the journalists not only uncover more about what happened but also cover-ups and the fact that they themselves had a chance to tell the story years ago but never did. It’s a film that isn’t just about a sex scandal involving priests who abused children for many years in Boston but also the fact that the Catholic church in Boston was willing to cover up and do things in their power to pretend that it never happened. Even as the journalists try to figure out what are they hiding as they realize that this is bigger than one priest but an entire city that was involved and maybe the entire world.

The film’s screenplay by Thomas McCarthy and Josh Singer opens with a chilling scene of priest making a settlement with lawyers over a sex scandal which establishes what is common in Boston that people know but don’t want to talk about. It then cuts to the arrival of new Boston Globe editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) who is aware that he has to gain the trust of the staff including the Spotlight team where he asks them to follow-up on a column about a sex abuse scandal from a Catholic priest. Leading the Spotlight team is Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton) who is joined by Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James) as they were looking for something to do where Rezendes would try to talk to attorney Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci) is reluctant to talk publicly to Rezendes yet eventually reveals what is at stake.

With the team talking to victims as well as revelations that they had a chance to tell the story years ago when Robinson was part of the team. While Robinson does admit guilt on his own part for not taking the chance to cover the story, he would redeem himself in not just going further once it becomes clear that the story is bigger than one parish but rather a whole city. Especially as it becomes clear that many who work for the paper are Catholic where they seem to know what is happening but they are either too scared to reveal what happened or are in denial. By the film’s third act where it becomes clear that there is evidence to get one priest to finally confess about his actions. Robinson realizes that it’s not one name they need to go after but the almost 100 names that they’ve uncovered including one living in Carroll’s neighborhood.

McCarthy’s direction is quite engaging for the way it plays into the atmosphere of the newspaper world where many are struggling with the new age of internet news and the decline of print. Even as it plays into events such as 9/11 as the world of the newspaper and journalism is a very busy one where many colleagues talk and socialize about what stories to tell. McCarthy’s usage of tracking shots, wide, and medium shots don’t just play into that atmosphere but also help flesh out the drama where the camera would pull back in scenes where the Spotlight team try to gather whatever they can use to tell the story. While McCarthy does use close-ups for some intimate moments where the characters talk to victims or what they do in their personal lives as it relates to Pfeiffer accompany her grandmother to church on Sundays. It helps establish not just what kind of city Boston is but also why it has this very unique relationship with the Catholic church.

McCarthy would also know how to build up drama such as a scene where Rezendes gains access to old testimonial records with the aid of Garabedian as he tells the team that they should unleash the story now. Yet, it becomes clear that these scandals have taken a personal toll for the team as well as one of its key editors in Ben Bradlee Jr. (John Slattery) who admit to being a lapse Catholic. Even as there are those who were thinking about returning to church to regain some idea of faith but the scandal has damaged that faith as they aren’t sure if revealing this to the city would destroy all of that for those who still believe in the church. It adds to the dramatic conflict as the decision that is made doesn’t just hit home for the entire team but would also for an entire city and maybe the entire world. Overall, McCarthy creates a chilling yet visceral drama about a group of newspaper journalists uncovering a sexual abuse scandal in their home city.

Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of natural lights for many of the daytime exteriors as well as the usage of lights for the scenes set at night in the interior/exterior settings. Editor Tom McArdle does amazing work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with a few jump-cuts for dramatic purposes as well as montages to play into the team at work. Production designer Stephen H. Carter, with set decorator Shane Vieau and art director Michaela Cheyne, does fantastic work with the look of the set of The Boston Globe building as well as the room where the Spotlight team works at plus the home of a few characters in the film.

Costume designer Wendy Chuck does terrific work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual with the exception of the clothes that some of the priests and cardinals wear. Visual effects supervisor Colin Davies does nice work with the minimal visual effects in the film which is essentially set dressing for some of the exteriors to make the city look like Boston circa-2001. Sound designer Paul Hsu does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the rooms at the Boston Globe to the machines where the papers are printed and other parts of the city. The film’s music by Howard Shore is brilliant for its very low-key piano score that has a few orchestral flourishes as it‘s mostly straightforward to play into the drama as well as the heaviness of what is happening while music supervisor Mary Ramos provides a more low-key soundtrack filled with bands based on Boston that only appears in the background.

The casting by Kerry Barden, John Buchan, Jason Knight, and Paul Schnee is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Neal Huff as one of the victims in Phil Savino, Len Cariou as Cardinal Bernard Law whom Baron meets early in the film, Paul Guilfoyle as one of the people involved with the church in Peter Conley, Jamey Sheridan as one of the church’s attorneys in Jim Sullivan whom Robertson knows, Maureen Keiller as columnist Eileen McNamara who would create the column that would start the investigation, Gene Amoroso as investigative reporter Stephen Kurkjian, Richard Jenkins as the voice of a noted psychiatrist for the victims, and Billy Crudup as attorney Eric MacLeish who is reluctant to reveal the settlements he took part in as well as reveal some revelations about the paper. John Slattery is fantastic as Ben Bradlee Jr. as one of the editors of the Globe who tries to make sure everything Spotlight does is under wraps where he realizes how big the story is prompting to get Baron on their side.

Stanley Tucci is excellent as Mitchell Garabedian as a man who is trying to defend the victims as he is reluctant to provide information because of the church where he gives Rezendes tips about what to find. Liev Schreiber is brilliant as Marty Baron as the new editor-in-chief who tries to understand more about the world of the Catholic church in Boston as he is a Jewish man trying to see what is going on where he learns more about what is really happening prompting him to put more support on Spotlight. Brian d’Arcy James is superb as Matt Carroll as a Spotlight reporter who helps piece many of the stories and sources that happens while making a chilling discovery about how close to home the scandal is at.

Rachel McAdams is amazing as Sacha Pfeiffer as a Spotlight reporter who talks to the victims in the streets while she would also talk to a former priest only to realize more of what is happening as she copes with how the news will affect her grandmother. Mark Ruffalo is phenomenal as Michael Rezendes as a Spotlight reporter who meets with Garabedian where he would go into the records with Carroll and Robertson where he would later uncover a major breakthrough for the story. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a remarkable performance as Walter “Robby” Robertson as the Spotlight chief who leads the charge where he would make some revelations into what he discovered as well as carry the guilt that he had the chance to reveal it years ago where he realizes the chance to do things right for himself and for Boston.

Spotlight is a tremendous film from Thomas McCarthy. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an intriguing story, well-crafted direction, and top-notch technical work, the film isn’t just a fascinating newspaper drama. It’s a film that explores people coping with something they either knew or didn’t want to know as they try to find a way to expose it to their city and the world in the hopes that something like this never happens again. In the end, Spotlight is a sensational film from Thomas McCarthy.

Thomas McCarthy Films: (The Station Agent) - The Visitor - Win Win - (The Cobbler)

© thevoid99 2015