Molly's Game * * * *

         Aaron Sorkin wrote the excellent Miss Sloane (also starring Jessica Chastain) and the utterly brilliant screenplay Steve Jobs; he also wrote The Social Network, so his name and reputation were the main reasons I wanted to see this.  Sorkin has not only written Molly's Game, but he has also tried his hand at directing - and done a very good job.   It's a true story but I was not previously aware of the book this film is based on.

Sorkin plays a winning hand.

          Molly Bloom was a professional athlete but after a career ending accident she ran away from everything and ended up a personal assistant to a revolting boss. One day he he offered her a second "job" helping to run poker nights.  It turns out the poker nights were attended by celebrities - actors, tv personalities, sportspeople, and they all liked to bet big.  She watched them carefully and soon got the hang of the game and what makes a good player.

           After being appallingly treated by her boss Molly decided to break away and set up her own poker nights: they quickly became a huge success.  There were huge amounts of money on the table - bets well over a million dollars. But Molly found herself a natural hostess for this. She kept a cool head, discouraged any flirtatious advances toward herself or her staff, encouraged losers to go home, and became a figure of trust. For some players who were running dry she would lend hundreds of thousands of dollars.

          After being shafted she moved her operation from Los Angeles to New York where she enjoyed even greater success, until the wrong sort of people started to get involved (surprise surprise). After that, the FBI started to show a lively interest.

           The film starts off with the FBI raid and then the story is told in flashback until we culminate at her trial, which has a surprising outcome.

        Like all Sorkin scripts it never feels there is padding or even so much as a minute of unnecessary screen time.  It is beautifully constructed with dialogue that allows the actors to put forward a fully developed character. Molly's Game does not leave the motivation for Molly's activities unexplored either.  Like Steve Jobs,  at times it becomes quite a fascinating case study and a psychological profile, especially in regard to her relationship to men.  It is just as fascinating (and entertaining) finding out who Molly Bloom is, and what makes her tick, as what she did and what happened to her.
         Jessica Chastain gives an outstanding performance as Molly Bloom.  Idris Alba is her lawyer with whom she has a good deal of revealing dialogue.