Im going to make ten million this year on poker! Tobey once exclaimed, not knowing that I knew that Houston had told me about the alleged arrangement they had. She eventually moved up from assistant to game-runner, making as much as $4 million a year while servicingMolly's Game's Player X and other high rollers. "I made a lot of mistakes. Once you select Rent you'll have 14 days to start watching the film and 48 hours to finish it. She pushes herself to learn everything she can about poker so she can bring Dean's . "When I took in the personal inventory after the wreckage I had caused, the story itself seemed like the most monetizing asset so that I could be closer to paying these people back." Molly's Game received positive reviews, with particular praise for Sorkin's screenplay, as well as Chastain and Elba's performances, with the former being considered one of the best of her career by some critics. [15], On February 18, 2016, Sorkin offered Jessica Chastain the lead role in the film, but the negotiations between them had then not yet begun. He held a thousand-dollar chip in his hand. It premiered first in the Toronto International Film Festival. In the spring of 1945, a grim era of bitter darkness, a young man and woman struggle for survival while fighting monsters born out of human greed. -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. Mollys Game explores the world of underground poker, following the true story of Molly Bloom, as she transforms from Olympic-level skier to hostess of the most exclusive poker club in the world, to FBI target. Poker was blowing up big and we found young, wealthy guys who wanted to play with Tobey, said Curtis. It stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Joe Keery, Brian D'Arcy James, and Bill Camp . I recognized in that instant that this is not an opportunity that a girl from a small town in Colorado gets. He could have procured much better options. In Mollys Game, it is called The Cobra Lounge, while the real-life poker games took place at The Viper Room, found on the Sunset Strip. The FBI arrests Molly to leverage her confiscated money and her freedom . Gyeongseong Creature. 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. 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. 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. Ill try to talk to him for you, he said awkwardly. His protagonist, Molly Bloom, is as driven as the subjects in The Social Network or Steve Jobs. That is, until the 2017 release of the crime-drama Molly's Game. The so-called "Poker. It stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Joe Keery, Brian D'Arcy James, and Bill Camp. This is yours, he said, holding it out to me. Dean, upon seeing that Molly is becoming increasingly independent in running the games, attempts to control, and then fires her. I didnt like this. Dean Stinchcombe. In Mollys Game, both sides of his persona are on display. But Tobey said, Dont worry. Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, "Insidious: The Last Key Unlocks Few Scares", "Golden Globe Nominations: Complete List", "The Shape of Water leads Bafta nominations", "Writers Guild Awards: 'Get Out,' 'Call Me by Your Name,' 'Lady Bird' Nab Nominations", "Mark Gordon & Aaron Sorkin Team On Molly Bloom High-Stakes Poker Memoir", "The true story behind "Molly's Game" is wild", "Aaron Sorkin to Make Directorial Debut With Underground Poker Drama 'Molly's Game', "Sony Drops Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game,' Film to Be Shopped at Cannes", "STX Circles Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' Rights for $9 Million", "Jessica Chastain Offered Lead in Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game', "Idris Elba in Talks to Join Jessica Chastain in Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' (EXCLUSIVE)", "Michael Cera in talks for Aaron Sorkin's poker biopic Molly's Game", "Kevin Costner Eyes Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' With Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba", "Chris O'Dowd joins Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game', "Molly Bloom Talks Jessica Chastain's Performance In 'Molly's Game', Incident With Tobey Maguire", "PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS ON AARON SORKIN'S MOLLY'S GAME STARRING JESSICA CHASTAIN AND IDRIS ELBA", "Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' Replaces Kevin Spacey Film At AFI Fest", "STX Sets Dates for 'Molly's Game,' 'Happytime Murders' With Melissa McCarthy", "January Slows As 'Jumanji' Takes No. They didnt even know how to shuffle a deck of cards.. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. In 2019, Molly Bloom married neuroscientist Devin Effinger. Currently you are able to watch "Molly's Game" streaming on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads. Molly ran two underground games that attracted some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Macaulay Culkin, Alex Rodriguez, Pete Sampras and others. Increasingly successful, as Molly gains more money she is pressured by Player X to raise the stakes. Molly went home and started Googling, "What kind of music do poker players like to listen to?" Even with the flaws or disappointments that I mentioned, Molly's Game was a better than average watch and I look forward to more films directed and written by Sorkin. What's the most that Molly Bloom saw someone lose in a single night? [29] The film expanded wide on January 5, 2018, alongside the opening of Insidious: The Last Key, and was projected to gross around $6 million from 1,608 theaters in its opening weekend. The scene in which he yells at Molly for buying poor people bagels is something that actually happened, according to her memoir. She wouldnt do it but he still gave her a thousand that night. Although Bloom kept the identities of many of her regulars a. In particular, she hopes to please the most successful player, a film star named Player X, by attracting new players to the game. Bloom had no comment.). "Ultimately, it got to $250,000," Molly Bloom said during an interview on Ellen. Effinger previously worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Colorado Denver. [5] The film earned Chastain a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress Drama,[6] while Sorkin earned nominations for his screenplay at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Writers Guild of America Awards, and BAFTA Awards.[7][8]. I was essentially loaning them money, guaranteeing that money. Curtis came to consider Maguire a good friend. Bloom starts out as Keith's personal assistant. There were plenty of people who would have staked him for better terms hell, he could have gotten money on the street for better terms. [33], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 309 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) makes his directorial debut with Molly's Game, which is based on the life of so-called "Poker Princess" Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a former Olympic skiing hopeful who turned to running high-stakes, celebrity-studded underground poker games in Los Angeles and New York after an unfortunate wipeout on the slopes . But Maguire wasnt comfortable having players in his house. Hey, yo, did that Jennifer Lopezs ass have cellulite on it, or was it nice?. [23] Production concluded on February 9, 2017. They offered her protection for a slice of her profits. The Molly's Game (2017 Film) Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. 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. Still, in his first film with a female protagonist, the writer-director has hit on a timely theme: the tribulations of being a woman in a man's world. And at over two hours long, the film still feels tight and never fails to entertain. The connection between the names is clear, although the movies tweak does remove some of the history from the location. Mal, Jo, and Ben get together to talk about where the Mandalorian people are, what adventure awaits Din and Grogu, and much more. And later on, there is discussion of whether or not double-dipping is an acceptable way to eat! Sorkin stated that "the casting of Jessica and Idris in the two lead roles is any filmmaker's dream come true, they're two of the greatest actors of their generation, paired for the first time, and their chemistry will be electric. This seems to be in line with the tasteless persona of "Player X" in the Molly's Game movie. His opponent had gotten confused. Related: The Social Network True Story: Everything The Facebook Movie Got Wrong. In his directorial debut, award winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin details the remarkable true story of [] She moved to Los Angeles in 2001, intending to take a year off before going to law school. Plus, does starting Tyrese Maxey versus DeAnthony Melton make a difference on the defensive end? Yes, 'Molly's Game' is based on a true story. [32], The film also grossed a total of $4.5 million in France and $5.3 million in the United Kingdom. When A-Rod appeared, tall, handsome, and very polite, the heads jerked up from the table. Arrested by the FBI, she is indicted for involvement in illegal gambling with the mafia. It was nice, he said, and pushed into a huge pot. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By In real life, Molly began . Despite continuous success, she fears being unable to cover her losses when players cannot pay. He flipped it over a couple times in his fingers. Couch-surfing and working as a waitress to make ends meet, it was there that Bloom first got a job working as an assistant in the Viper Room running weekly high-stakes poker games. To add insult to injury, Tobey then victoriously showed his bluff. His character is inspired by Darin Feinstein and he starts out as Molly's employee. J.C. MacKenzie. Did [her] ass have cellulite on it or was it nice? Salomon asked. In a qualifying event for the 2002 Winter Olympics, she is severely injured, ending her career. You can almost picture him on the sidelines, in a turtleneck sweater, gleefully reacting to folded hands and rivers. 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. However, Bloom says that, similar to the film, her criminal attorney, Jim Walden, did vouch for her for $250,000 that she didn't have. 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. 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. She became known as the "Poker Princess.". Months later, in April 2009, godsend Ruderman got busted for running his hedge fund as a Ponzi scheme. The $3,000 in tips comes straight from her memoir. "But I wrote the checkwhat are you going to do?" At this time, she becomes increasingly addicted to drugs, as the games have taken their toll. With skiing out of the picture, Molly still felt a great deal of pressure to be successful. J. . Creditors placed a lien on his home. (Independently, Bloom was sentenced to a years probation, a $200,000 fine and 200 hours of community service for gambling-related infractions in NYC.). 2017 141 min NR (Not Rated) Drama, Biography Feature Film. When she refused, a man showed up at her door with a gun. Sorkin has certainly made a name for himself in the biopic scene, having written the screenplay for award winning films such as Charlie Wilsons War, The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs. These days, Curtis resides in Phoenix and is penning his next book, about his exploits as a card cheat and launching a sleight-of-hand website, kardsharp.com. However, like in the movie, Maguire really did call Molly to gleefully inform her she had lost the game. Like in the film, she tried to learn as much as she could about poker through internet and personal research. He had taken to criticizing me about everything under the sun, especially how much I was making in my role. Keith is a foul-mouthed real estate agent whose principal source of income is in running illegal backroom, high-stakes poker games populated by celebrities, athletes and other assorted fat. While Molly's Game is the compelling true story of Molly Bloom, Player X is an intriguing character with a shocking real-life inspiration. To me, his actions were in really bad taste. He was tall and handsome, with a relaxed charisma that not all icons have in person As Rick [Salomon] took a seat, I saw him focus on Ben. He roughed her up and threatened her family. "I have a network, and I have a lot of lessons," says Molly. Next: Self-Made True Story: What Netflix Changes About Madam C.J. And, since Tobey was a vegan, it really bothered him when people ordered pepperoni pizzas. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The film is absolutely worth your time. And Im gonna make sooo much fking money this year at poker!. He told The Post that the actor tried making her bark like a seal [for a $1,000 chip]. "[34] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Expand your knowledge of the Molly's Game true story by watching the Molly Bloom interview below. [20] On November 9, 2016, Chris O'Dowd, Jeremy Strong, Bill Camp, and Graham Greene joined the cast as well. 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. Are the Lakers dead? Molly is currently pregnant, and expecting a baby girl in 2022. The dream home was sold, he said. The investors claimed the celebrities had won cash from Ruderman that belonged to them. Curtis met Maguire at a 2004 poker game in Los Angeles. Writer/director Aaron Sorkin even gives a nod to the Spider-Man actor at one point, with a line about "Player X" portraying a superhero. -Ellen. Directed and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the memoir by Molly Bloom. Wowwww you must be really rich.. We've received your submission. Actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and Macaulay Culkin became known participants in the underground poker scene after a court case turned public; the bank sued Molly for the money one of her players, Ponzi scheme runner Bradley Ruderman, had lost in the game. Molly's Game (2017) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Aaron Sorkin . To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Im sorry, he said, as if he had just realized that I was a real person with real feelings. He went into cardiac arrest during a biopsy. While Molly did hire lawyers, Jaffey is an agglomeration, Sorkins way of integrating his point of view into the movie. U.S.A. Discover the MBTI personality type of 7 popular Molly's Game (Movies) characters and find out which ones you are most like! On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [28] In its first full weekend, the film grossed $2.3 million, finishing 13th at the box office. ""The feds first found out about it because a guy [hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman] in my LA game was running a Ponzi scheme. Rick had no filter. An Olympic-level skier whose plans for law school were derailed when she fell into the world of the exclusive poker games of Los Angeles, Bloom's life became prime movie material when she got. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game is a true-life story of the Olympic standard American skier, Molly Bloom. One day Feinstein told her, "I'm going to need you to help me run this poker game." Screenwriter/director Aaron Sorkin consulted Molly throughout the screenwriting process. This prompted her to take a percentage of the pot in order to operate as the bank, a move that caught the attention of the Feds. In an episode of the hit reality-basedcomedy30 Rock, in which Sorkin also has a cameo, this style has been lovingly referred to by Tina Fey's Liz Lemon as "Sorkin-esque repartee." Give Naatu Naatu Best Original Song. While she is in NYC awaiting trial, her father Larry seeks her out and attempts to reconcile. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. Thanks for the heads-up. I attempted to sound casual, but the words caught in my throat and the tears were coming hard and fast. 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. "I saw someone lose $100 million in a night," says Bloom, "and he paid the next day." Taking that one step further, the only real name used in the movie is Mollys own. There, she begins working as a cocktail waitress and then an assistant to a Hollywood insider, Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong, nice and sleazy), who soon has Molly running his weekly poker night out of . "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 . Additionally, she contacts club and casino employees to spread the word about her games. 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. A best friend of Maguire, Leo came to play poker when Mollys games were just starting out. Notably,Molly's Game is also the debut of Aaron Sorkin as a movie director. Rick Salomon showed up next. Unbeknownst to Maguire, Curtis had a long career as a sleight-of-hand expert, scamming high-stakes games in LA. At the end of the night, she could count her profits alongside Tobey who almost always won.. Maguire and Curtis arranged things with club co-owner Darin Feinstein. (Michael Cera) or Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong) than with poor, misunderstood jock . In her book, Bloom only mentions the celebrities who had already been outed in the media prior to the book being published. Her poker customers came to include men from the Russian mob. -People, "The very worst time I got screwed ended up costing me $250,000, and that really hurt," says Molly. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Molly moves to NYC to begin a new underground poker game. Her only ally was criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned there was much more to Molly than poker. -Vice, Yes. [21], Molly Bloom herself discussed Chastain's portrayal of her character with ET Canada stating, "We spent a little time together. With this in mind she moves to Los Angeles and becomes a cocktail waitress, and eventually assists Dean, a real estate developer . Molly orchestrated the weekly poker games for Keith Dean, who didn't know the difference between a bed sheet and a spreadsheet. Dean asks the players to tip her at the end of the night and, just like that, she's $3,000 richer. So I started taking a percentage of the pot like Vegas does. Her mother's sacrifice helped inspire her to write the book. In her time running the game, Bloom crossed paths with A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Nelly, and even Alex Rodriguez, so there are many sources of inspiration for Player X, played by a twitchy Michael Cera in Mollys Game. Maguires poker prowess is already lore, but those who havent read Blooms book might just assume hes a really good player who happens to be famous. Reading the book and watching the movie, its pretty easy to determine that Player X is actually the OG Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire. After a serious injury ruined her chances of skiing at the Olympics, Molly Blooms life changed direction. [30] The following weekend it dropped 44% to $3.9 million, finishing 11th. If the story sounds familiar, that's because it inspired the 2018 movie "Molly's Game," starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, the former Olympic-class skier who was the hostess of the. While a lot of the movie takes into account the true story of Molly Bloom, it also leaves out some details, making room for the trademark repartee in Aaron Sorkin's movies and tv shows. With the deal done, Curtis writes, Maguire joyfully shouted, I own you now! Molly, having contacts through years of running the game, creates her own poker games. Until everything crashed down hard, they pulled it off, putting together the biggest game that Hollywood has ever seen. But with no better option, he agreed to it. In real life, Bloom wrote in her memoir that Tobey Maguire once offered her a $1,000 tip to bark like a seal that wants a fish and then stormed off when she refused. As she is about to return to her poker games, the FBI raids, as Douglas Downey, a player infatuated with her, informs on her. [] The film looks sharp and a trio of editors keeps thing pacey despite the 140-minute running time." -USA Today, Molly is using her networking experience to reach fellow women and help them become successful. The film follows Bloom (Chastain), who becomes the target of an FBI investigation after the underground poker empire she runs for Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business tycoons, and the Russian mob is exposed. Bloom made her money on the tips she got from players, which, as the games buy-ins increased, grew larger and larger. In fact, Sorkin didnt even interview Blooms real-life lawyer, Jim Walden, to allow himself one wholly fictional element. Portrayed by Jeremy Strong in the Molly's Game movie and referred to as Reardon Green in the book, Molly's boss, Darin Feinstein, wasn't the most pleasant of men. . MOLLY'S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of. Previously, she has also worked as a ghost writer for a fiction manuscript, and co-founded arts-and-literature magazine, Octarine. Eventually he initiates her into the world of underground poker when he . we learned that the real nightclub where the poker games initially took place was The Viper Room on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Molly's Game. In 2014, Molly Bloom wrote a memoir about her life and career titled, Molly's Game, which came to be the blueprint for Aaron Sorkin's screenplay when working on the film. Editorial Reviews. While taking the year off between undergrad and presumably law school, Molly went to LA in 2003 and began working a number of different jobs, including as a cocktail waitress and an executive assistant to real estate entrepreneur Darin Feinstein, one of the co-owners of the Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room (renamed The Cobra Lounge in the movie).