MOLLY’S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons.
Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defence lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.
Directed by Aaron Sorkin (well known for writer on The West Wing) who continues to enjoy himself hugely as the piece moves into its courtroom endgame. There’s some sparky crossing of swords with the FBI’s investigators, a neat little cameo for Graham Greene as Judge Foxman, and a superb performance from Idris Elba in possibly his best big-screen role to date as Molly’s battling defence lawyer, Charlie Jaffey. If justice is to be seen to be done, there will be Oscars in the wind.
