"I was third in North America, and I crashed pretty horrifically on my Olympic qualifying run." Molly Bloom, a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. As they recognized him, they turned into excitable little boys. After Molly berates him for his unethicality, Player X decides to change venue for his games, and the others join him, leaving Molly. When you name a character Player X in a based on a true story movie, as Aaron Sorkin does in his directorial debut Mollys Game, it only invites speculation about who that character represents. Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) and somewhat reluctant lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) make their plea. He roughed her up and threatened her family. Curtis offered to pay back the principal and then give Maguire 10 percent of his winnings for the next year. She eventually moved up from assistant to game-runner, making as much as $4 million a year while servicingMolly's Game's Player X and other high rollers. The $3,000 in tips comes straight from her memoir. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic both had 40-point games after the Sixers loss against the Mavs. "[37], Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying, "Molly's Game bristles with fun zingers, electric energy and Sorkin's brand of verbal fireworks all of which help enormously when the movie falters in fleshing out its characters. With skiing out of the picture, Molly still felt a great deal of pressure to be successful. In an interview with Vice about the film, Bloom said: [Sorkin] didnt deviate from the truth. He hires her as his assistant. Whats different about the Sixers this year? While Molly's Game is the compelling true story of Molly Bloom, Player X is an intriguing character with a shocking real-life inspiration. Bloom herself was the one to approach Sorkin, rather than the other way around. -USA Today, Molly is using her networking experience to reach fellow women and help them become successful. But with no better option, he agreed to it. I had to figure out - I had to do background checks and vet them to see if they were good for it. So I want to help women to be successful." However, Bloom says that, similar to the film, her criminal attorney, Jim Walden, did vouch for her for $250,000 that she didn't have. I think for Tobey, it was more the thrill of knowing hed made a good deal.. The Olsen twinsyep, thembrought a billionaire Bloom was interested in into the game, so they were allowed to stick around. Wanna fuck?. Like in the movie, her boss fired her from his game, so she decided to utilize the contacts she made to start up a poker game of her own. The movie changes the name of the club, though. The film follows this storyline, giving narrative shape to the wild tale. When the other playera weak link on the table that others were feasting onfolds, Player X flips his cards over to reveal he had nothing, tossing in a very satisfied, Fuck you., I swear on my mothers life I have you beat, he had said, convincingly and earnestly. Her fathers overbearing insistence on excellence, her skiing career and accident, and her start as a waitress make appearances both in Blooms memoir and in interviews with the ex Poker Princess. Molly's Game, based on a true story, features an unnamed Hollywood actor known only as Player X, played by Michael Cera. Aaron Sorkin, who is a skilled writer and known for adapting famous films such as To Kill A Mockingbird in 2018, wrote and directed Molly's Game. As Curtis told the Observer, he believes Maguire used his famous friend to get big fish to come to the table: Tobey was basically paying their entry fee, and using Leo as a lure to get these billionaires like Alec Gores and Andy Beal to come to the games.. [2] It was also the closing film at AFI Fest on November 16, 2017, replacing All the Money in the World. This prompted her to take a percentage of the pot in order to operate as the bank, a move that caught the attention of the Feds. His face was lit up like it was Christmas Eve. The Creed Franchise Has Stepped Out of Rockys Shadow at Last, With Sylvester Stallone removed from the equation, Creed III is the sternest test yet of Adonis Creeds appealand a new challenge for first-time director Michael B. Jordan, The Clock Is Already Ticking for Kyrie Irving and the Mavs, Dallas now has a costar alongside Luka Doncic but has precious little time to make it all work, All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. But overall, theMollys Game true story remains intact, despite this fictional person being included. Im not kidding. Walker's Life. Principal photography began in November 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I laughed again, stalling, hoping he would play the joke out by himself and leave. You wont bark for a thousand dollars? Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Expand your knowledge of the Molly's Game true story by watching the Molly Bloom interview below. Her only ally was criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned there was much more to Molly than poker. Tobey said that he and I would have to stake Leo, recalled Curtis, meaning they would put up cash for DiCaprio to play, covering his losses but also getting a share of his winnings. There, she begins working as a cocktail waitress and then an assistant to a Hollywood insider, Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong, nice and sleazy), who soon has Molly running his weekly poker night out of . But, ask anyone who's read Molly Bloom's book, and they'll have a few ideas who Player X is based on in Molly's Game. In 2014, Molly Bloom wrote a memoir about her life and career titled, Molly's Game, which came to be the blueprint for Aaron Sorkin's screenplay when working on the film. Molly's Game streaming: where to watch online? Screenwriter/director Aaron Sorkin consulted Molly throughout the screenwriting process. This is pretty much exactly how it unfolds in the movie. Please enter a valid email and try again. It's for men only, and we see how men like Molly's boss Dean Keith ( Jeremy Strong ), Player X (Cera), Douglas Downey ( Chris O'Dowd ), Bad Brad ( Brian d'Arcy James ), Harlan Eustice (. . His protagonist, Molly Bloom, is as driven as the subjects in The Social Network or Steve Jobs. Dean Keith. It was a popular celebrity hangout and is famous for being the location where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning in 1993. Like the time film producer Rick Salomon infamous for starring in a sex tape with Paris Hilton grilled Affleck about Jennifer Lopez, the actors former fiance. Poker was blowing up big and we found young, wealthy guys who wanted to play with Tobey, said Curtis. Arrested by the FBI, she is indicted for involvement in illegal gambling with the mafia. 21:41. ", Yes. He only plays aces and kings. And he did. Hailing from Queretaro, Mexico, she is a graduate of the University of East Anglia's English Literature with Creative Writing program. Molly's Game'sCharlie Jaffey, played by Idris Elba, isan entirely fictionalperson. Maguires poker prowess is already lore, but those who havent read Blooms book might just assume hes a really good player who happens to be famous. Molly arrives in her best dressshe bought it for $88 at J.C. Penneyand collects $10,000 from every poker player who walks through the doors. That its all based on Blooms real-life experiences makes this one of the most fascinating true stories in years, and a revealing window into a high-stakes poker world in which a single hand could be worth more than most people make in their lifetime. Molly is currently pregnant, and expecting a baby girl in 2022. Couch-surfing and working as a waitress to make ends meet, it was there that Bloom first got a job working as an assistant in the Viper Room running weekly high-stakes poker games. Instead of attending law school immediately, Molly takes a year off and moves to LA. How it plays out in the movie: Sorkins film introduces Harlan Eustice (played by Bill Camp), one of the few players at the game with a finite amount of income. Mollys Game is a testament to the benefit of close relationships between the screenwriter, source material, and subject. How it plays out in the movie: After the heated exchange about her tips, Bloom receives a text from Player X that says the game will take place at another venuerather than the hotel she had set up for everyoneand there was no need for her to show up. In real life, Molly began . In researching the Molly's Game true story, we learned that initially the buy-in started at $10,000. Editorial Reviews. Her focus is on the cross-section between story, cultural background, and character development. Dean Keith. U.S.A. In Molly Blooms high roller poker games, Tobey Maguire was a big jerk, Leonardo DiCaprio wore giant headphones, and Alex Rodriguez just liked to watch. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. And as A-Rod took in the glamorous, well-appointed poker game I was running, a game that happened to have millions of dollars in chips on the table, the posturing started Alex Rodriguez was watching it all, and having a great time. He wanted to make her feel included, said Curtis. Based on a children's book by Paul McCartney. Whats legacy, anyway? -Ellen. One night, Matt Damon came as a guest of his buddy Affleck. Her poker customers came to include men from the Russian mob. However, as seeninseries and movies like The Newsroom,Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Steve Jobs, Moneyball, Molly's Game, and A Few Good Men-all based on real events - Sorkin's unique dialogue only serves to further enhance and deepen the way audiences appreciate and understand true stories. -Vice, "The trajectory that I started out, from serving people drinks, then I became a game runner and operator, and then, ultimately, I became the bank," Molly explained. Oh God, I thought, dont let him say anything embarrassing. Despite his earnings, the million-dollar debt was more than he could afford. [16] On May 6, 2016, Idris Elba joined the film to star alongside Chastain. As based on the book by Molly Bloom, Molly's Game shows what happens to Molly (played by Jessica Chastain), . Affleck wrote the check., (Reps for Maguire, Meyer, Affleck, Damon and DiCaprio did not return requests for comment. An Olympic-level skier whose plans for law school were derailed when she fell into the world of the exclusive poker games of Los Angeles, Bloom's life became prime movie material when she got. In fact, Sorkin didnt even interview Blooms real-life lawyer, Jim Walden, to allow himself one wholly fictional element. My face was burning. At the sentencing, her lawyer, Jim Walden, conveyed to the court that Bloom was in severe debt in part due to giving up $125,000 in poker profits as part of her plea. Starring: Jessica Chastain,Idris Elba,Kevin Costner Watch all you want. J. . He doesnt show up much in Mollys Game, but Bloom characterizes him as polite and charming, and not that interested in talking about Jennifer Lopezs butt. Yes, at least that's what she states in her book Molly's Game. Harlan Eustice. So when the opportunity arises to work for a "real estate guy" named Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong)-true identity: Darin Feinstein, co-owner of the Viper Room-Molly happily accepts the position in addition to her cocktail waitressing job. Curtis estimates he won around $15 million during the games four years. Initially unfamiliar with poker, Molly quickly learns how to appeal to the players for tips. Molly declines this deal, fearing that the information about her players would be released, and she pleads guilty. The so-called "Poker. The heart condition reversed itself. I moved into her tiny house and a doctor [said] that my heart was functioning at 25 percent. "But I wrote the checkwhat are you going to do?" He, his wife and their two daughters lived in a $3 million LA home. She becomes his office manager, and is soon involved in running his underground poker games at "The Cobra Lounge". Youre too rich now? In her time running the game, Bloom crossed paths with A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Nelly, and even Alex Rodriguez, so there are many sources of inspiration for Player X, played by a twitchy Michael Cera in Mollys Game. Sorkin's style of giving characters extended monologues and extremely cutting lines has been criticizedas over-the-top and unrealistic, which are sometimes fair descriptions of Sorkin's work. He had taken to criticizing me about everything under the sun, especially how much I was making in my role. Rent 3.49. He lost $5 million [of his investors' money] in the game and they came after all of us. But Maguire wasnt comfortable having players in his house. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By Molly's Game features a star-studded cast, with Jessica Chastain in the titular role, Idris Elba as lawyer Charlie Jaffey, Kevin Costner as father Larry Bloom, and Michael Cera as the nasty Player X. Rick Salomon showed up next. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Two who did were Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Lalibert and hedge-fund manager Brad Ruderman. Then he suffered the biggest loss of his gambling career: $1 million in a single, terrible night at The Four Seasons. I looked back at him, praying my face wasnt as red as it felt. He also makes his directorial debut, which made his choice of director of photography . Keep your chip.. I didnt like this. Bloom read in the newspaper that the FBI had arrested close to 125 individuals in a large-scale mob roundup. Molly's Game is the true story of Molly Bloom a beautiful, young, 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. But its funny: Rodriguez is never described as actually playing poker. That led to bankruptcy attorneys going after players to recover his ill-gotten gains, and the game imploded. Broken, beaten and abandoned, Curtis received a lifeline of $15,000 from Moonves and found a ride to Illinois, where he went to live with his mother. How Do We Solve This Crisis? His character is inspired by Darin Feinstein and he starts out as Molly's employee. Though the dialogue in Sorkins film is a bit preachyits Aaron SorkinMollys Game is the perfect vehicle for his idiosyncrasies: Sorkin and poker are a match made in heaven.
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