‘Molly’s Game’
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut has all the verbal dexterity of his award-winning scripts, and with Jessica Chastain playing poker empress Molly Bloom, he’s found an actress who takes to his words and rhythms like a fish to water. Molly’s Game is a smart, snappy, and incredibly fun movie, with the cast — including Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera, Kevin Costner, and Chris O’Dowd — really tearing into the buffet that Sorkin provides. Molly is a woman in a man’s world, yes, but she’s also just a tenaciously competitive person, and it’s a thrill watching her drive her way to the top (and come crashing down) once she gets it in her sights.