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.