Mollys Game is a testament to the benefit of close relationships between the screenwriter, source material, and subject. See the full list of Molly's Game cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. The guys included billionaires who had everything but fame. The actor pressed guests to tip Meyer, a successful jewelry designer who is also the daughter of Ron Meyer, a former Hollywood power agent and now the vice-chairman of NBCUniversal. She had trained for years to become an Olympic skier, but was injured while trying to qualify for the Olympics. Leo was tighter than a gnats ass.. I wouldnt lie to you, man.. Related:Jessica Chastain & Idris Elba Intrigued By IT Sequel Fan-Casting. But I overcame the worst bad beat you can get and am still in the game.. Chris O'Dowd. And, since Tobey was a vegan, it really bothered him when people ordered pepperoni pizzas. [] The film looks sharp and a trio of editors keeps thing pacey despite the 140-minute running time." Rich men went home with their pockets light of cash but full of stories. The movie even nods at this association by stating Player X had once portrayed a superhero; Maguire famously played Spiderman in the mid-2000s trilogy. Initially, she just served drinks and we gave her numbers to call the guys.. Maguire quickly enlisted one of his best friends, Leonardo DiCaprio, as a lure. Harlan Eustice, a skilled, conservative, and successful player, joins Molly's game. When writing the screenplay, Aaron Sorkin did not interview Bloom's real-life lawyer, Jim Walden (pictured below, right). That is, until the 2017 release of the crime-drama Molly's Game. The film is absolutely worth your time. Although Bloom kept the identities of many of her regulars a. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Arthur wants to have the game at his house from now on. He sounded a little gentler when he heard the emotion in my voice. "I have a network, and I have a lot of lessons," says Molly. Molly's Game is a 2017 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (in his directorial debut), based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Molly Bloom. In the book Molly's Game, it's never a secret that this nefarious gambler is none other than Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire. -EllenIn 2011, the group of hedge fund investors who had been taken in Bradley Ruderman's Ponzi scheme ended up suing Tobey Maguire and other celebrities. role name; Molly Bloom: Jessica Chastain: Charlie Jaffey: Idris Elba: Father: Kevin Costner: Player X: Michael Cera: Dean Keith: Jeremy Strong: Douglas Downey: Chris . The film follows this storyline, giving narrative shape to the wild tale. He was crass and dirty, but he was still hot in a caveman kind of way. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. I moved into her tiny house and a doctor [said] that my heart was functioning at 25 percent. In fact, Sorkin didnt even interview Blooms real-life lawyer, Jim Walden, to allow himself one wholly fictional element. He tried making [Bloom] bark like a seal [for $1,000]. Salomon is probably best known for the sex tape he made with then-girlfriend Paris Hilton in 2004, but hes a big-time poker player in his own right: He won $2.8 million at the 2014 World Series of Poker's Big One for One Drop event. If you do something to earn these thousand dollars. His voice was loud enough that some of the guys looked up to see what was happening. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe. Outside of outliers like Rounders and Casino Royale, poker themed films generally result in a rather forgettable experience. Or else Id never be invited again, he said. Molly's Game. Bark like a seal who wants a fish, he said. I looked at him. Eustice is an on-screen stand-in for television producer Houston Curtis, who had the same lopsided arrangement with the actorthough Curtis said Maguire eventually let the debt slide. X. . Joker director Todd Phillips was a regular. Wow, they are swingin, huh? he said, looking down at me. They offered her protection for a slice of her profits. Im sorry, he said, as if he had just realized that I was a real person with real feelings. Next: Self-Made True Story: What Netflix Changes About Madam C.J. Like in real life, barring some name changes, Dean Keith (The Big Short'sJeremy Strong) met Molly while she was waitressing and offered her a gig as his assistant at his night club. [13] On February 18, 2016, Sony exited the project,[14] and on May 13, 2016, STX Entertainment came on board, and subsequently bought the film's US and Chinese distribution rights for $9 million. I know! he said. When Bloom takes her games to New York, she uses A-Rod the way Maguire had used Leo: He was a big name that elevated the status of the operation. Whats different about the Sixers this year? > Dean Keith Chris O'Dowd > Douglas Downey Jessica Chastain > Molly Bloom Natalie Krill > Winston Madison McKinley > Shelby Joe Keery > Trust Fund Cole Summary: 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. He lost $5 million [of his investors' money] in the game and they came after all of us. The Mollys Game endingbrings her and her father together, where he finally acts the part of supportive parent before her trial. One day Feinstein told her, "I'm going to need you to help me run this poker game." When Molly learns the ins and outs of illegal poker a little better, Dean ends up firing her because he essentially doesn't like the competition. Aaron's Sorkin's Molly's Game stars Jessica Chastain as the real-life Molly Bloom, who ran the most exclusive high-stakes poker games in the world. Back in 2005, the Spider-Man star collaborated with a card cheat-turned-TV producer named Houston Curtis to create a regular poker game for themselves and their rich pals where as much as a few million bucks could be in play on any night. Charlie reads Molly's book and becomes interested in helping her case, as he feels she has not committed serious enough wrongdoing to merit prison. When skier Molly's career is cut short, she becomes the assistant to a film producer who also happens to run the biggest poker game in town. (Spend it on a new dress, Dean suggests.) No. 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. R, 2 hr 20 min. Her persistence paid off. Molly Bloom, a beautiful young Olympic-class skier, 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. Where Mollys Game depicts The Cobra Lounge with a flashy neon sign stereotypical of West Hollywood, The Viper Clubs current exterior is far more downplayed: a simple matte black. That is true, but Maguire, as portrayed in the book and on screen by Cera, is more than that: Hes a sinister figure who takes pleasure in, as he puts it in the film, destroying [the] lives of his fellow players, and eventually Bloom herself. Harlan Eustice. Additionally, she contacts club and casino employees to spread the word about her games. Related: Just Mercy True Story: What The Movie Gets Right & Changes. -Ellen. Dean Keith is a real estate developer who introduces Molly Bloom to the world of underground poker. She has worked as a freelance writer since 2017, writing articles, features, and profiles in a wide range of topics, from business and tech to pop culture and media. I had watched him stare at the cards he was holding, knowing full well he had the winning hand but suddenly unsure after Tobeys performance. -Vice, Yes. 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. Based on a children's book by Paul McCartney. She has experience in editorial working as the deputy editor for Specialty Food, an online and print magazine, curating its news section and social media. He owed $500,000 to Salomon and the same sum to a few other players. [10] Bloom had already approached Sorkin, as he was her "favorite writer". Washington D.C. 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Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans . [23] Production concluded on February 9, 2017. The alleged goal, according to Curtiss new book, Billion Dollar Hollywood Heist (Skyhorse Publishing, co-authored with Dylan Howard): for Maguire and Curtis to win as much as possible from their hand-picked suckers. -Ellen. Walker's Life. We ask all these burning questions, and more! But overall, theMollys Game true story remains intact, despite this fictional person being included. Interestingly, the fictional law firm Jaffey works for, Gage Whitney, has made several appearances in Sorkins work, including in The West Wing and Studio 60. Charlie negotiates a deal for Molly to receive no sentence and for her money to be returned in exchange for her hard drives and digital gambling records. The stakes were so high, Curtis told The Post, that winning $20,000 felt like losing.. 84% 82%. The website's critical consensus reads, "Powered by an intriguing story and a pair of outstanding performances from Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba, Molly's Game marks a solid debut for writer-director Aaron Sorkin. About. 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. CRIME; 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. It concluded: "One strong woman and many rich men make for a good show."[39]. (directed by) Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by Daniel Pemberton . Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) and somewhat reluctant lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) make their plea. If the story sounds familiar, thats because it inspired the 2018 movie Mollys Game, starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, the former Olympic-class skier who was the hostess of the operation and who later would be arrested on gambling-related charges tied to a game she ran in New York City. As my influence had increased, and my tips, so had his harping. (Independently, Bloom was sentenced to a years probation, a $200,000 fine and 200 hours of community service for gambling-related infractions in NYC.). As she is about to return to her poker games, the FBI raids, as Douglas Downey, a player infatuated with her, informs on her. By the end of the book, its revealed that Maguire orchestrated Blooms ousting from the games. Em um evento de qualificao para os Jogos Olmpicos de Inverno de 2002, ela ficou gravemente ferida, encerrando sua carreira. You wont bark for a thousand dollars? Rent 3.49. Curtis claims Bloom was not the mastermind she purported to be and that she was primarily there to deflect attention so that he and Maguire could win millions without spooking their pals. One-thousand dollars was his insult tip.. "Molly's Game " (2017) Cast: Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom Idris Elba as Charlie Jaffey Kevin Costner as Larry Bloom Michael Cera as Player X Jeremy Strong as Dean Keith Chris O'Dowd as Douglas Downey J.C. MacKenzie as Harrison Wellstone Brian d'Arcy James as Brad Bill Camp as Harlan Eustice Graham . He plays well, but one devastating hand causes Harlan to unravel and eventually accrue over $1 million of debt. Brad is indicted for running a Ponzi scheme; Molly is investigated and questioned as to who attended her games. He owned 100 percent of his downside and was only realizing 50 percent of his wins, and he was the only one at the table who was playing for his mortgage. This story has been shared 111,726 times. In a qualifying event for the 2002 Winter Olympics, she is severely injured, ending her career. Youre too rich now? One morning, a bunch of guys took him up on it. 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. Much of the positivereviews of Molly's Game can be attributed to how Sorkin carefully chose the changes he made to the real story, such as how the only thing the moviechanged about the club owner who first launched Molly into the world of underground poker is his name. Hailing from Queretaro, Mexico, she is a graduate of the University of East Anglia's English Literature with Creative Writing program. [32], The film also grossed a total of $4.5 million in France and $5.3 million in the United Kingdom. Based on a true story. The FBI arrests Molly to leverage her confiscated money and her freedom . "I made this mix CD with 'The Gambler' on it and other really clichd songs," says Molly, "and I had a cheese plate, and my cutest outfit, and I walked into this room and it was incredible. Tobey Maguire wanted to take down Hollywood. . [24], Molly's Game premiered on September 8, 2017, at the Toronto International Film Festival. 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. In her book, Bloom only refers by name to the people who the media had already outed, protecting the identity of her players who remained anonymous. Molly's Game'sCharlie Jaffey, played by Idris Elba, isan entirely fictionalperson. Another minor timeline difference comes down to her books role in the movie, another fictional insertion from Molly's Game director Aaron Sorkin. [4], On Christmas Day, the film debuted with $1.04 million from 271 theaters. This is yours, he said, holding it out to me. A young woman, Molly ran high-stakes underground poker games that attracted high-profile Hollywood stars and wealthy criminals and eventually got her into trouble with the law. 21:41. What does that mean, exactly? I asked, trying not to cry. Desperate to turn things around, he lost weight. She then gets a call from the cackling celeb, who triumphantly tells her, You are so fucked.. Obviously Molly Bloom did hire lawyers, but Charlie Jaffey is a fictional character. Did [her] ass have cellulite on it or was it nice? Salomon asked. 'Molly's Game' Team Talks Making Timely Tale of Female Empowerment The Aaron Sorkin-written and -directed film stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner and Michael Cera, who reveals. Increasingly successful, as Molly gains more money she is pressured by Player X to raise the stakes. Bloom also wrote that Maguire "was the worst tipper, the best player, and the absolute worst loser. She pushes herself to learn everything she can about poker so she can bring Dean's . Molly's Game. After Molly berates him for his unethicality, Player X decides to change venue for his games, and the others join him, leaving Molly. . Previously, she has also worked as a ghost writer for a fiction manuscript, and co-founded arts-and-literature magazine, Octarine. Douglas Downey. "[34] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The movie calls him Dean Keith; Blooms memoir calls him Reardon Green. I looked back at him, praying my face wasnt as red as it felt. Curtis estimates he won around $15 million during the games four years. The heart condition reversed itself. Based on a true story, Molly's Game was adapted from Bloom's memoir of the same name by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing). Despite continuous success, she fears being unable to cover her losses when players cannot pay. Dean Stinchcombe. She begins cocktail waitressing and catches the eye of producer Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong), who finds her smart and capable. He folded most hands and listened to music on huge headphones. Wowwww you must be really rich.. Two who did were Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Lalibert and hedge-fund manager Brad Ruderman. When A-Rod appeared, tall, handsome, and very polite, the heads jerked up from the table. Directed and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the memoir by Molly Bloom. Her other brother is a surgeon who graduated from Harvard Medical School. Molly's Game. He told me, Listen, I was never going to keep all those wins anyway, Curtis told the Observer. Ski Team Athlete (uncredited) Synopsis 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. After writing the book, she went around Hollywood trying to find a way to get a meeting with Aaron Sorkin. 'American Animal' sent to prison for stealing library book Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Murdaugh son collapsed outside court after sitting stone-faced through dad's 6-week murder trial: source, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, Harry and Meghan hold the upper hand on King Charles coronation: Source, Hated Tom Sandoval addresses Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims, Kelly Osbourne posts first photo of baby son as he hangs out with uncle Jack, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. . "I made a lot of mistakes. However, because the book was published between Mollys arrest and sentencing, it is unlikely Jaffey (or his equivalent) would have had time to do this in real life. How it plays out in the movie: Initially, Bloom didnt take a rakea percentage of the pot in handswhich made the questionable legality of running the poker games a little less questionable. Her only ally was criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned there was much more to Molly than poker. Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Molly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World. Her brother, Jeremy Bloom, was a two-time Olympian freestyle skier who was also a professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. In researching how accurate Molly's Game is, we discovered that as the game began to get out of control, so did Molly's life. My face was on fire. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business . Serving as the dealer was Maguires then-wife, Jen Meyer. 367 Skini titl. 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. Bill Camp. Until everything crashed down hard, they pulled it off, putting together the biggest game that Hollywood has ever seen. In real life, Molly began . He also glimpsed the stars petty side. The dream home was sold, he said. A lot of films in this biopic category play with a lot of creative licenses, and yes, there was some of that in terms of how he dealt with certain composite characters, but the rest was all true..