Molly’s Game is an American true-crime drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin in his directorial debut. The film stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd, and Joe Keery. The story is adapted from the memoir Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker by Molly Bloom and follows Bloom, who becomes the target of an FBI investigation, after her underground high-stakes poker game for Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business tycoons, incidentally ties her to the Russian mob. Jessica Chastain is great as Molly Bloom. The actress is shockingly similar to the real Molly Bloom in almost every way, with the exception of her red hair. She commands the screen and brings real emotion to the role. Bloom is a character that you want to root for even when she does things that are a bit shady. Her backstory is so rich that it could have been another film in itself. Idris Elba is great as Molly’s lawyer Charlie Jaffey. Elba plays the role as someone on the outside looking in. He’s mainly helping Molly because he has become interested in her story and finding out how she got herself into this predicament. The more he finds out about her the more he comes to her side. Michael Cera is likable as Player X, a character based off of Bloom’s interactions with celebrity card shark Tobey Maguire. Cera plays this role with nuance and keeps the viewer guessing. He is sort of standoffish but at the same time friendly. You’re not really sure what his motive is or what he’s going to do next. His role in the film is brief, but enough for you to get intrigued by him and want more. Kevin Costner, Chris O’Dowd, and Joe Keery appear in supporting roles that really move the story forward. Each of them lets the viewer explore a different side of Molly’s personality and how she views people and society. The true star of the film, however, is Aaron Sorkin. The way he writes dialogue adds as much tension to the screen as an action scene. The back and forth between the characters is fun to listen to. Even the exposition and narration stands out as interesting and pulls the viewer deeper into the story. He makes it so that every character in the film has chemistry even if they appear for a split second. The world feels real almost as if the viewer is watching the actual events unfold. I give Molly’s Game an Excellent 9.5/10. Aaron Sorkin has not lost a step in his writing ability and has now proven that he can direct as well. This film is one that is almost guaranteed to gain multiple award nominations and wins this season. It may even get Sorkin his second Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.