Sunday, June 30, 2019
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Molly's Game
Last week I flew to Madrid to attend a course about the elbow. It’s a long flight from Brisbane, Australia to Madrid, Spain made a little more arduous by a malfunctioning transponder forcing the plane to turn back over Saudi airspace on the Abu Dhabi - Rome connection. So I end up watching a bunch of movies that don’t normally turn up on my radar. I watched “Dunkirk”, “First Man”, “Molly’s Game”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and a couple of other titles I fail to remember.
I don’t normally watch movies that portray the lives of real people or real events because I prefer to read an article, or a biography, or watch a documentary instead. I doubt I would have come across the story of Molly Bloom, America’s “poker princess”, had I not been locked into a seat for an extended period of time. The last movie I purchased was “Wreck-It Ralph 2” so I make no pretence of possessing some higher level of intellectual integrity.
I enjoy fiction. And animation. If it comes in the form of the original “Wreck-It Ralph” candy-pop or the more sombre message delivered by the equally impressive “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” I’m happy dropping coin and passing the time. Indeed, fiction that carries a message has broad appeal across all genres. And fiction with a simple, clear message is what Hollywood does best - be it through snappy patter or costumed superheroes. Molly’s Game is a well-executed movie. And I enjoyed it very much.
The directorial debut of screen-writer, Aaron Sorkin, has gained much praise and a little flak. The bitching really centres on the accuracy of the movie which is supposedly based on a true story. Mr Sorkin has taken a few liberties and Ms Bloom and the her lawyer, Mr Jaffey, must be flattered with their portrayal by Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba respectively. But giving the movie a thumbs down for its fictional content is like dissing Ben Kingsley for his portrayal of “Ghandi” or Miloš Forman for creating “Armadeus”. Or, for that matter, a devotee of J.R.R. Tolkien pulling apart the finer details of Peter Jackson's “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Yes, it’s relevant. And interesting. But beside the point.
Molly’s Game is a work of fiction and tells us very little about the real Molly Bloom. In the movie Molly “tripped over a stick”, crossed a line, and manages to maintain her dignity and integrity. In the real world integrity - at least the integrity that is resolute beyond reason (some would say “real” integrity) - is a game that has far more losers than winners. The real Molly Bloom, like most people who seek to win, didn’t really play that play that game. I get that.
Like everything else made up by clever, competent people “Molly’s Game”, the movie, comes across better than the real thing.
That, there, is entertainment.
That, there, is entertainment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)