Jean-Paul’s Rating: 4/5 stars

Bottom Line: Not Sorkin’s best work, but still fast paced dialogue and a great story with some great acting.

Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) was competitive mogul skier whose career ended after a tragic accident when a pine branch in the snow clipped her bindings knocking her ski off while hurtling down a mountain. She decides to take some time off before heading to law school and heads to Los Angeles where she eventually gets involved in managing an underground poker game. She eventually starts her own game in both LA and New York. This is all true.

Those of you who are familiar with Aaron Sorkin’s work, will know what you’re getting into when you go to see “Molly’s Game”. Those of you who don’t, beware of fast paced dialogue and witty repartee and people that are way too smart for their own good. They are Sorkin’s signature and Sorkin has found a perfect muse in Jessica Chastain. She is wonderfully suited for Sorkin’s writing style and keeps the pace of the movie flowing well. She is helped by Michael Cera who plays Player X, who, after some digging, I found out in real life was Tobey Maguire. Tobey Maguire is apparently a massive dick in real life. Who Knew? Also rounding out Sorkin’s always eclectic cast is Idris Elba as Charlie Jaffey, Molly’s lawyer.

“Molly’s Game” also marks Sorkin’s directorial debut with mixed results. All in all, it’s pretty solid, but there are some really weird choices made in places. For instance, there are a few really weird roaming body shots that don’t quite make any sense. Two that spring to mind are one of Elba’s arms and hands and another of Chastain’s body. I highly approve of the latter and the former ain’t half bad either, but both times it seemed highly unnecessary and gratuitous. Like the camera person had a fetish or something and we were voyeurs.

I suspect that people who are not as much of a fanboy of Aaron Sorkin as I am might not like this movie as much. I still think most people will like it, but maybe my man-crush has tainted my review some.