Biography Drama

'Molly's Game' TIFF 2017 Review: Aaron Sorkin is a master of all trades

September 8, 2017Justin Waldman



   
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, Molly’s Game, constitutes some of the best work the acclaimed screenwriter has done thus far, and that’s high praise considering he’s the writer behind such films as Steve Jobs and The Social Network.

The movie focuses on the real-life story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), the former Olympic hopeful turned “poker princess,” who was arrested at gunpoint by the FBI in 2013 and charged with running one of the largest and most elusive, high-stake poker rings in the world. With a clientele that included Hollywood elite and members of the Russian mafia, it’s no wonder the FBI took an interest in her, and Sorkin brings so much wit and humor to Bloom’s gripping story that there’s no question why he was tapped to bring her 2014 memoir to the big screen.

In turn, Chastain gives a character study that is mesmerizing, leaving no doubt that this is her strongest role to date. Alongside an equally compelling Idris Elba, who plays her lawyer, Chastain’s performance enhances Sorkin’s brilliant script — and vice-versa — making Molly’s Game one of the first genuinely must-see films of the year.

Molly's Game is receiving its world premiere as part of TIFF 2017's Special Presentations programme. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 20 min.




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