“There is very little in the world worth paying full price”
Ridley Scott is by far one of my favourite filmmakers of all time and his unparralleled talent is evident once again in his 2017 masterpiece ‘All the money in the world’.
Based on the horrific 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, grandson of the ‘richest man in the world” J Paul Getty, the film was captivating to say the least. Certainly a phenomenal screenplay brought to life by the performances of such a talented cast. Michelle Williams was perfect for the role of young Getty’s mother. Her sheer distress and agony at the kidnapping of her eldest son, met with her relentless determination to fight for his return lent to the most powerful performance of her career. Christopher Plummer’s portrayal of the “frugal millionaire” left audiences in awe and utter disbelief as they watch his relentless negotiations with his grandson’s life. I was completely taken aback at the heartlessness of this character. He appears to be the true villain of the film, however Plummer’s outstanding depiction of the oil tycoon had me almost conviced of his reasoning for not paying the ransom. I absolutely loved witnessing a world of such fathomless wealth.
I was further astonished by the performances by the supporting cast, including Mark Whalberg and Charlie Plummer. By switching perspectives between the kidnappers and Gail’s attempts to fight the Getty empire and obtain the ransom money, Scott effectively keeps audiences hooked. The film was shot beautifully, as expected by Scott, and I loved the 1970’s atmosphere put together by the soundtrack, costuming and set design. The melancholic, tense mood of the film was suffocating, in the best possible way, however I found the middle section of the film to be quite repetitive and boring. The first 40 minutes were fast paced and very interesting, however that did gradually fade away to a point where the seemingly relentless ransom negotiations weren’t quite enough to keep my eyes glued to the screen. Perhaps a shorter runtime would’ve improved the pace of the film, however as a whole the performances and production outweigh the negatives I have. Another excellent film by Ridley Scott and a must see this year!
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