RITA DI SANTO assesses the winners of the most politically charged festival to date
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Ace hand from Aaron Sorkin
MARIA DUARTE recommends a gripping tale about high-stakes poker from a first-time director
KATARZYNA KOSMALA introduces a retrospective by one of the most significant figures in contemporary US photography
MAYER WAKEFIELD is entertained but let down by an audacious production that, sadly, doesn't ring true
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by drama that, despite accomplished performances, cannot overcome an unfocused script
New releases from Sam Carter, Spell Songs and Les Thomas
Molly's Game (15)
Directed by Aaron Sorkin
THE RISE and fall of entrepreneur Molly Bloom — the “Poker Princess” — who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being apprehended by the FBI is depicted in this slick, stylish and absolutely engrossing directorial debut feature by writer Aaron Sorkin.
Based on Bloom's memoirs, it's a warning against the seductions of power and fame, and it's peopled by Hollywood A-listers, sports stars, business tycoons and, unbeknown to her, members of the Russian mob who attend her games.
There are $100 million losses, Mafia hitmen and FBI raids as the excitement and tension build, but Sorkin also highlights the pitfalls of greed and mingling with the rich, the powerful and the overprivileged.
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