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Created Jan 20, 2018 01:21AM PST • Edited Feb 17, 2018 03:11PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   Molly’s Game contains large doses of glamorous sin, sans sex, even though the women are all super sexy. The lack of sex, consensual or #MeToo, makes this R-rated flick rather tame as sexy movies go. That said, Jessica Chastain surely got good money to gamely play the sexy and intrepid Molly Bloom in glam fashion.

   She deserves it. No actress working today tops Chastain when it comes to the concoction of glamorous, brainy and intrepid. Molly Bloom gives her a perfect role to inhabit: top athlete and smooth operator.

   The story of Molly Bloom and her high stakes poker games for millionaires and moviestars in LA & NY is movie worthy, albeit not for 2 hours & 20 minutes. A good 20 minutes is set in her fancy lawyer’s office.

   First time director Aaron Sorkin packs in the detail, propelling it along with his trademark rapid-fire dialog. Rat a tat tat, Sorkin comes in hot, opening with a visually vivid disquisition of high stakes athletic competition, including the agony of defeat – on skis. Pity that his editor didn’t exert more control later on.

   Also pity that Sorkin didn’t name the real moviestar players. Leo? Ben? Enquiring minds want to know.

   Molly’s Game works in many ways: star vehicle for Jessica Chastain, classic Aaron Sorkin film, TMZ slice of life, high-end crime movie, starfuck fantasy. If only it were a bit shorter and much less circumspect.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Jessica Chastain has a classic Jessica Chastain role as the infamous Molly Bloom, she of the super-luxe poker games. A Chastain movie isn’t must-see, but is almost never regrettable.

   • Idris Elba exudes moviestar charisma as her high-end New York lawyer.
   • Kevin Costner is nails as her very serious father, Larry Bloom.
   • Michael Cera disappoints as an unnamed moviestar, since Cera is the rare moviestar who doesn’t look like a moviestar.
   • Jeremy Strong is appropriately slimy as a Hollywood phony.
   • Chris O’Dowd doesn’t have to stretch to play a fallen man.
   • J.C. MacKenzie plays another degenerate gambler.
   • Graham Greene improbably plays a Judge with the last name of Foxman.
   • Angela Gots, Natalie Krill, Stephanie Herfield & Madison McKinley play Molly’s Angels.

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

   Jessica Chastain

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

    Molly’s Game is notable as legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s first and only directorial effort. He gave himself a super-smart script from which to work, of course, but should have given his editor more control.

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music Good 3.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.0

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Fierce 1.7

19. Rudeness Salty 2.5

21. Reality

    Glib 1.2

    Molly Bloom ran a poker game that attracted Leonardo DiCaprio, Macaulay Culkin & Ben Affleck, to name three. Unfortunately, Molly’s Game doesn’t name even one. Changing the names to protect the famous robs the movie of star power. Plus, the game began at the Viper Room, not the fictional Cobra Lounge.

    Now to a different topic. In our current era of #MeToo revelations, it’s notable that Molly Bloom was apparently never sexually harassed. Of if she was, why did Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin leave it out?

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.7

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0