In his directorial debut, legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin injects as much life as he can into the confusing circumstances, legalities, and stakes that come with what amounts to essentially running an exclusive celebrity casino in a penthouse. And while it’s enough to keep you interested for the probably too long 2 hours and 20 minute run time, it’s certainly not the awards season buzz movie you’d expect from a limited release in December.
That’s not to say no one showed up to play; Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba have a good rapport and are always fantastic, the dialogue is the patented Sorkin blend of sassy and humorous, and the bits that deal into Molly Bloom as a person, through her upbringing and failures, are really strong.
But the film relies too heavily on using voice over narration to deliver exposition that tries its best to establish just what everything is supposed to mean to the viewer. In its place could be more scenes related to Molly’s relationship with her father, which feels incredibly under serviced by the end. It was one Margot Robbie in a bathtub scene away from being a spiritual sequel to The Big Short. Which, come to think of it, is probably the best way to describe this movie.
It’s good, but maybe not essential viewing for the awards season.
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