Molly's Game

Writer/Director Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game represents the best of biographical drama thanks to Sorkin’s brisk dialogue and the expert cutting of Editors Alan Baumgarten, Elliot Graham and Josh Shaeffer.

Molly Bloom was a young Olympic-class skier, who suffered a terrible accident that destroyed her career.  She eventually fell into the world of running high stakes poker games and ultimately became an FBI racketeering target.

 

Molly (Jessica Chastain) tells her story as, virtually penniless, she elicits the help of a highly expensive lawyer (Idris Elba) to defend her against the charges the government has against her.

Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd, Graham Greene, Angela Got and a host of others support Chastain’s brilliance, admirably.  

You may not understand all of the poker terms thrown around, but it will not impede your enjoyment of this extremely powerful story.

I give Molly’s Game a 4.4 out of 5.

The Post

Director Steven Spielberg’s The Post, a prequel to All the President’s Men, is arguably the most important story of the year as it points to the principle of America’s First Constitutional Amendment, stating quite forcefully that the Free Press exists to serve the governed, not the governors. 

The excellent script by Writers Liz Hannah and Josh Singer starts with an introduction to Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys), who released the Pentagon Papers that showed the lies behind the Vietnam War, and moves at fast pace thanks to Editors Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn to Post owner Kay Graham’s (Meryl Streep) heroic decision to print their contents.   

Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks as Editor Ben Bradlee both give superb performances and are backed up by a brilliant cast, including Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford and Bruce Greenwood.

Though the film started out a bit clunky, I soon realized that the era was a bit clunky and Spielberg was giving an accurate feel for the times.  And that made the understanding of the dilemma faced by Kay Graham more understandable.

The Post is worthwhile viewing on all levels.  I give it a 4.6 out of 5.

Pitch Perfect 3

Director Triss Sie’s Pitch Perfect 3 is a joy for Pitch fans, me being one of them.

The bumbling Bellas, as commentators Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins) hilariously criticize them, are back together again, this time entertaining troops via a USO tour.

Led by Beca (Anna Kendrick), the team of misfits has never sounded better.  Even Rebel Wilson has improved her comic performance and adds non-cringingly to the fun…and the action scenes that set this episode from the earlier Pitches. 

I especially enjoyed the fleeting throw-away sight gags such as a view of the passport of the group's weird Asian member Lily (Hana Mae Lee) that lists her birthplace as Area 51.

Even if you’re not a Pitch fan, you’ll enjoy the Holidays more by checking out this funfest.

I give Pitch Perfect 3 a 4.2 out of 5.