What’s it about?

After an injury derails her Olympic skiing career, pre-law student Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) finds her way into the world of underground, high -takes poker. As business grows, Molly soon finds herself in dangerous waters, attracting the attention of both the Mafia and the FBI.

What did we think?

James Tinniswood says: I dug this. That dialogue is unmistakably Sorkin; it’s like jazz – may not always get what’s going on, but damn it’s got a rhythm. His first time as director, Sorkin’s rapid editing style sometimes matches his dialogue style: more cuts than a game of cards. Chastain is great as Molly – a strong, smart and glamorous woman who takes no BS and (mostly) sticks to her principles in the face of very real danger. Idris Elba is solid as Molly’s reluctant lawyer, as is Kevin Costner as Tough Love Dad. Worth going all in on, and other poker puns.

What’s it about?
The true story of a poor but gifted ice skater who became embroiled in an assault charge on a competitor.

What we thought

Dan says: I expected this film to be ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ but with skating and knee bludgeoning. Instead, the two dimensional villain from the 24/7 news cycle turns out to be a nuanced and tragic, actual human being. The tale is a poem of violence and bullying.

I’ve seen films with unreliable narrators before but the charm in this film comes from each of them wilfully fighting each other for narrative control. This film’s character work is intimately shot but will then “double axle” into the ice skating scenes that are so well crafted they actually make ice skating routines watchable.