Molly's Game starring Jessica Chastain & Idris Elba: What the critics are saying #book2movies

Molly’s Game the movie based on Molly Bloom’s memoir, Molly’s Game: From Wall Street Street to Hollywood’s Billionaire Boys Club premiered at TIFF this past weekend.

In general the reviews for the debut directorial feature of Aaron Sorkin are good, with relief that he seems able to bring a visual style that works well with the rapid fire dialogue he’s become famous for as a writer. 

‘Molly Bloom reveals how she built one of the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world—an insider’s story of excess and danger, glamour and greed.

In the late 2000s, Molly Bloom, a twentysomething petite brunette from Loveland Colorado, ran the highest stakes, most exclusive poker game Hollywood had ever seen—she was its mistress, its lion tamer, its agent, and its oxygen. Everyone wanted in, few were invited to play.

But, beyond the electric dialogue, Sorkin’s directorial style, it’s the ability of the film’s star, Jessica Chastain and the (no surprise to me) brilliance of costar Idris Elba that we’ll be buzzing about when we see the film. 

Here, some snippets from the critics at TIFF. The rest of us will be able to see the film on November 22.  

‘‘Here at last, the oft-misused Elba has a film role worthy of his considerable talents. The chemistry between him and Chastain is electric, and near Molly’s Game’s end he’s given one hell of a speech; the type you can expect to see popping-up during a lot of award ceremonies.’’ Chris Evangelista, Slash Film

‘‘Still, for a writer accused of misogyny in the past, Molly’s Game delivers one of the screen’s great female parts — a dense, dynamic, compulsively entertaining affair, whose central role makes stunning use of Chastain’s stratospheric talent.’’ Peter Debruge, Variety

‘‘Idris Elba delivers a thundering speech that’s so impassioned, the audience I saw the film with broke into spontaneous applause.’’ Bryan Bishop, The Verge

‘‘But this is Chastain’s movie through and through. At this point in her career, it seems almost futile to keep repeating what an incredible actress Chastain is. What else is new? But once again, Chastain crushes it, storming through this film like a hurricane.’’ Chris Evangelista, Slash Film

‘‘... a stunning turn by Idris Elba. Chastain and Elba’s rapport in these scenes is positively electric, and it should come as no surprise that the best parts of the film usually happen whenever these two are on screen together. It’s a cliché but true—it really is like watching two world class athletes go head to head, as two of the best actors of their generation give it all they’ve got, armed with a rapid-fire Aaron Sorkin screenplay as their ammo.’’ Adam Chitwood, Collider

‘‘The result is a typically staccato and silver-tongued drama that boasts a zillion killer lines, at least two of the year’s most exciting performances, and a rare understanding of the difference between power and pride.’’ David Ehrich, IndieWire

Here’s the trailer. I’m putting the movie on my list. You?