Molly's Game

"Molly’s Game is based on the book about the rise-fall-rise-fall of a woman destined for Olympic glory who hit a giant twig on a ski slope and ended up making a shit-ton of money in the private poker game racket instead. It’s the real-life Molly Bloom re-imagined by Aaron Sorkin, the master screenwriter who has given us so much, including The West Wing and The Social Network. It marks his directorial debut; I nearly walked out. Occasionally that feeling of “life’s too short” starts to permeate the soul halfway through a film, just as the effects of the medication (wine, choc-covered hard-frozen cinema ice cream) wear off."

"There's a lot missing in Molly's Game, especially regarding its protagonist's personal relationships. But what's there is dandy."

"A dense, dynamic, compulsively entertaining affair, whose central role makes stunning use of Chastain's stratospheric talent."

"Sorkin has made a canny, disjointed thriller of process and exposition, a sort of Goodfellas riff with a nerdy twist."

"The experience of watching Molly's Game feels a bit like hearing a long, rambling story from someone high on something, a frantic, exhausting splurge of information that never truly justifies its existence."

"If you enjoyed The Social Network or Steve Jobs, with their psychological insights, compelling characters, clever soundtrack choices and non-sequitur asides, then you'll love this."

"Ferociously eloquent, densely packed with ideas, immensely entertaining, Molly's Game is a film which fetishes power and success, while also serving as a cautionary tale."

"In his overdue directorial debut, Sorkin both entertains and makes you lean in to absorb every detail of this wild tale, which boasts a stellar cast to help tell it."

"There’s nothing so enticing as being allowed a glimpse into a hidden world of power and privilege, and Molly’s world is certainly that…"

"Sorkin approaches his directorial debut confidently and, thankfully, with ambition, juggling complex exposition with an exciting visual style. Molly's Game is highly entertaining and positively delightful watch."