KFOG REVIEW: “ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD” “THE GREATEST SHOWMAN” & “MOLLY’S GAME”

Only someone as exact as Ridley Scott could pull off replacing a key actor (Kevin Spacey) only a few months before release and after filming had wrapped and still hit his release date. Christopher Plummer is mesmerizing as John Paul Getty in this tale based on the true story of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III. Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg also star. I can see why Plummer got a Golden Globe nomination for it.

Michelle Williams also appears in the musical “The Greatest Showman” with Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson. I wanted to like this musical based on the life of PT Barnum, I really did. However I found it rather disappointing. The film furthers my theory that the lyricists of La La Land are overrated.

I may fall into a minority on this one but I was also disappointed by the self important and bloated “Molly’s Game” – based on the true story of Poker game runner Molly Bloom. Are there going to be any films this winter NOT based on a true story? I found Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut to suffer from a self importance, and was sad to see Jessica Chastain wasted in the role. Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, and Chris O’Dowd also star