Almost There: Jessica Chastain in "Molly's Game"
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 10:39AM 
Nicole Kidman just won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama for her work in Aaron Sorkin's third feature as a director, Being the Ricardos. In truth, most of the writer turned writer/director's projects have garnered awards attention, so this win shouldn't be surprising. The first two movies he directed Trial of the Chicago 7 and Molly's Game earned Sorkin Oscar nominations for writing. His 2017 directorial debut, Molly's Game has another connection to the current awards season. Since Zero Dark Thirty earned her a Best Actress nod, Jessica Chastain has tried to return to the Academy's good graces but it hasn't yet happened. This year, The Eyes of Tammy Faye could end her Oscar dry spell.
As we wait for nomination morning, let's look back at Chastain's performance in Sorkin's gambling drama as the real-life character, Molly Bloom…
Jessica Chastain delivers Sorkin's typical rapid-fire dialogue like she was born speaking it, though the movie starts with narration rather than conversation. It's at the Olympic qualifiers in freestyle skiing when 20-year-old Molly Bloom suffers an accident that puts an end to her career in sports. Throughout the snowy prologue, the actress's face remains a mask of deep concentration on the crest of anger, while her voice rings in the soundtrack, an obstinate tirade that ends bluntly with "fuck you." It's one hell of an introduction, especially considering what's to follow. The next time we see the real-life athlete turned wanted criminal, she's being arrested by the FBI.
Agents invade her home at night, a flurry of confusion grounded by Chastain's even-footed reactions. Her projection of frustration almost obfuscates the glimmer of panic, a game of cross-wired emotion ruled by an ideal of outward strength. Such multifaceted registers became more evident, even humorous, as we see the beginning of Bloom's involvement in the high-stakes poker business. Seeing her maneuver, the indignities of working for a rude boss is rather exciting, for it allows Chastain to lace her inner fury with comedic beats. Moreover, it gives the camera a chance to observe Chastain's most remarkable quality in the role – an air of calculating intelligence.
In the intercutting of timelines, the actress' work becomes an exercise in contrasts and continuations. That intelligence vibrating off the screen never changes, but levels of power, vulnerability, and assurance sure do. Watching young Bloom get her first millionaire tip from a Tobey Maguire-esque Michael Cera is to see a show of bemused glee, the blossoming of a mercenary's opportunistic hunger, drunk on the ambrosia of self-satisfaction. Cut to the more recent narrative thread, and she's no longer a woman seeing the way to power manifest in front of her. Instead, the actress must now play someone who's fallen from a high position. A figure used to authority must confront her present helplessness.
It's the difference between embodying a champion working towards victory and a champion dethroned after reaching the highest of highs. The gluttonous greed that radiates from Chastain in the flashbacks is an enticing sight, magnetic and entertaining. Her smiles are sharp, her gaze electrifying, posture a crescendo of confidence. However, there's more complexity at play in her scenes shared with Idris Elba as Bloom's attorney, Charlie Jaffey. Chastain shows the pains of being humble, the paroxysms of despair that happen beneath the stoic façade the Poker Princess presents to the world. It's not that Chastain makes bolder choices here, but that the script is more demanding, the characterization less obvious.
And yet, the most interesting beats of Chastain's work don't happen when facing off against Elba. Instead, those highlights are found in the perilous interactions when Molly Bloom has more at stake than just money or freedom. Chastain's at her best when playing a woman with her soul on the line. First up, there are the instances that find her growing attached to a player, be it her pity for Brian d'Arcy James' Bad Brad or the agony of witnessing Bill Camp's Harlan Eustice unravel at the poker table. Faced with her part in the man's destruction, Bloom realizes she shares guilt with the perfidious Player X before being destroyed by his wrath.
To interpret Bloom's loss of control over her life, business, and sense of responsibility, Chastain doesn't go down the route of tremulous demonstrativeness. Instead, she grows still, her neck tense and eyes laser-focused. Free-falling, the actress portrays downfall by foregrounding the herculean effort to hold it together. It's a clever paradox, painting a picture of the disordered inner life by underlining outward order with such vehemence that we can't help but wince at the gesture. In these states, we see Molly fall into temptation, choosing crime in a decision whose ardor Chastain showcases, almost as if the heroine knows she's just sealed her fate.
Falling deep into violent depression, addiction, Chastain's Molly Bloom grows detached, her comedic annoyance souring into a more unsettling sentiment. Attacked at home, prosecuted, and ready to plead guilty, to sell her integrity, she falls deeper into the abyss, pulling the film with her, down into the darkness. Such tenebrous passages crack open a gateway into catharsis, Sorkin-style. What I mean by that is "daddy issues," of course. While out and about in Central Park, working through her pent-up frustrations on the ice rink, Molly happens to find her father. At her lowest, the woman finally has a frank conversation with the patriarch whose prickliness, pressures, and disappointments have defined her life.
In some ways, they have fractured that life. The writing is clumsy but there's genuine emotion in there, somewhere. Maybe it's not truthful to a character study of the real Molly Bloom, but you can feel the lacerating quality of the confrontation it your bones. Deconstructing years of ossified contempt, Chastain gets to play against Sorkin's words for once in the movie, singing a song of their human impact rather than the showy cleverness of their construction, or their smarmy melodies. She unwinds a performance of few notes with expertise, allowing sharpness to crumble and her bark to smooth into plaintive wetness.
Maybe the best compliment one can give Jessica Chastain is that it's hard to imagine any other actress doing a better job with Sorkin's Molly Bloom. She's the best part of the movie, that's for sure.
During the 2017/2018 awards season, Molly's Game's biggest successes came in the screenplay category. As for Jessica Chastain, she earned citations at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and various regional critics associations. However, AMPAS chose five other performances to honor. They were Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water, Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Margot Robbie in I, Tonya, Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird, and Meryl Streep in The Post. McDormand won her second of third acting Oscars, while Chastain is still waiting for her third nomination.
Molly's Game is available to rent online.
Reader Comments (15)
Ah, there was so much Oscar bait that didn't pain out in the Best Actress category 4 years ago: Judi Dench in Victoria and Abdul, Annette Bening in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, Michelle Williams in All the Money in the World, and Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes all played real strong women in the "Time's Up" year that really highlighted those sorts of performances, but only Meryl Streep in The Post was able to join the more locked Margot Robbie in I, Tonya and the other three locks in the category that year. But Molly Bloom being a much less well-known real person allowed Chastain to establish her performance without as much comparison as the other higher profile true stories. She had the "deglam" effect of the black hair (hey, it worked for Reese Witherspoon) and really sunk her teeth into the emotional conflicts that Bloom faced for years. Sadly, Sorkin often is only capable of highlighting (at most) one woman well in each of his projects, but Chastain really shines beyond the dialogue throughout the movie and likely would have gotten an Oscar nomination for the part in a less packed year.
I think Ronan,Streep out of the 5 are stellar,McDormand and Hawkins great though I wouldn't nominate them or Robbie proving herself to be a quite gifted dramatic actress.
MG'S script is okay and Chastain tries hard but the film and direction let hew down,I preferred her flawed heroine the year before in Miss Sloane.
My own 2017 nominees
Streep,Ronan then Winslet and Krieps with Emma Stone my clear winner.
Agree with the above that Emma Stone is superior in Battles of the Sexes than in La La Land, she would've been on my shortlist for sure. And Chastain was pretty good in this too, an underrated turn for her. Take out Streep and McDormand and add these two, you'd have a great group.
Kind of annoying, definitely over-written and overly long movie. When the foundation is not there, it doesn't matter how much you act and give, you can't make it work.
Chastain is extraordinary in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, however. I love her in it and I think the movie is far more enjoyable than Molly's Game.
I'm probably convinced that Chastain should win Best Actress this year.
She is solid in this movie, but the performance is not Oscar worthy. Bening and Winslet should be nominated that year.
It was a great field, even my 5th choice (Ronan) would have deserved to win, so I can't complain about the final 5. Chastain is just fine, but not better than any of those who made it.
Michelle Williams' performance in All the Money in the World is truly extraordinary, and someone should have been bumped to allow her in.
Sally Hawkins topped her exquisite performance in the otherwise godawful Shape of Water in the little-seen Maudie, a wonderful film about a Canadian primitive folk artist that should have gotten a lot more recognition. For her two performances, she's my actress of the year.
Also noteworthy was little 7-year-old Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project. Hawkins-Williams-Prince-Streep-Robbie. My top 5
It should be said that Kevin Costner was very good in this in his supporting role.
Re: Best Actress from 4 years ago, i would like to weigh in. Thought Ronan was really the best of the bunch, she really made the Lady Bird character come alive and left me wanting more. I watched it twice in about 3 weeks. And will watch it again. Margot Robbie was wonderful. Meryl was as good as ever, but after having 3 wins, she's gonna have to do something with sparklers to get another (perhaps her comic turn in Don't Look Up will qualify). Sally Hawkins was wonderful and I especially loved del Toro's inclusion of his main character masturbating. Finally we are left with McDormand. To me, most of what she did in Three Billboards was be in a bad mood. But Hollywood was in the throes of the MeToo movement, so that she won is really not a surprise.
I love Streep and I'm baffled people single her out as one of the best in 2017.
I think The Post is a product that's overrated beyond redemption. Incredibly pedestrian work from Spielberg. Streep's character is reduced to a semi-doormat waiting for the news. A leading role that isn't a leading role, and in this case there's not even a male love interest eating away at her screentime. Even the #MeToo crowd in 2017 couldn't love it because it gave them nothing.
Thank you guys for the feedback.
My least favorite of the actual nominees was McDormand, and I would have preferred a Chastain nomination instead. But, of course, that was never going to happen.
That being said, here's my dream ballot, going by Oscar eligibility:
- Vicky Krieps, PHANTOM THREAD
- Cynthia Nixon, A QUIET PASSION (my winner)
- Kristen Stewart, PERSONAL SHOPPER
- Meryl Streep, THE POST
- Daniela Vega, A FANTASTIC WOMAN
Streep and Robbie had no business being included amongst the nominees.
While I did really enjoy McDormand's performance, I would have undoubtedly given the award to Sally Hawkins.
Sally Hawkins is a tremendous actress and she rarely misfires.
While McDormand is often amazing, I wish she hadn't won for Fargo - a movie I dearly love. I truly wish Brenda Blethyn had been rightfully awarded.
@David S-Agreed. He was only in it for a short bit but he fucking killed it.
2017 had an incredible shortlist, but I would have take out Streep and put in Chastain. She is brilliant here. This was a terrible snub. It better not happen again this year.
Chastain was often called the Streep of her generation and she does have something in common with her. Streep racked up a bunch of nominations but was mostly the only thing people were talking about in regard to the films. Chastain likewise almost gets nominated for Molly's Game, Miss Sloane, and Miss Julie but she is by far and away unquestionably the best thing about these movies. I don't think this applies to TEOTF since makeup, costumes, and even Garfield got some good buzz out of it.
I agree with Amy Camus that Michelle Williams is the true snub of this year's category. If the nominations had happened a bit later, Williams for sure gets a nom and maybe even a win. After the news came out that she reshot her scenes with Plummer for very little and Wahlberg got millions, she got waves of justified sympathy. That alone could have propelled her to a nom/win along with her great performance.
LOVE her in this. One of the better Sorkin’s screenplay too methinks.
Out of that year, it still should have been an easy win for Ronan.