Synopsis: All the Money in the World follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail to convince his billionaire grandfather to pay the ransom. When Getty refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor become unlikely allies in the race against time.
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg and Christopher Plummer
Released: 2018
All the Money in the World is a good film. Rarely boring, I had a good time watching this entertaining true story. As a thriller, the film certainly functions really well: director Ridley Scott knows how to construct a taunt and tense picture. All of the moments that were supposed to be thrilling achieved this goal, and thrilled me.
The other side of All the Money in the World is the exploration of the infamous J. Paul Getty, and again, these sections are really good. In fact, Christopher Plummer’s scenes as Getty are the best in the film. Getty is wisely kept at arm’s length, and so the time that we spend with the character feels precious and important. Plummer is suitable restrained, and because of the time spent building up to the character’s larger moments, they have a real impact. Plummer is, quite simply, fantastic. Having not seen a lot of the films likely to be nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category at the Oscars, I can’t comment on whether or not Plummer should win, but he delivers a powerhouse performance that certainly deserves all of the attention that it is getting, and has the effect of silencing all of the chatter about Kevin Spacey that surrounded the role pre-release.
Michelle Williams is also really good , and delivers the film’s more emotional moments to great effect. While Mark Wahlberg is definitely the weaker link of the three, he is serviceable in his role, and never detracts from the film. Indeed, in one of the stand-out scenes towards the end of the film, Wahlberg impresses. Perhaps some may expect more from a big-name actor, but I was never bother by his performance.
The weaker scenes in All the Money in the World are those featuring John Paul Getty III. Charlie Plummer’s performance is fine, but the reason that we are given to care about him is all located outside of his scenes: we care because his mother cares. As the younger Getty’s scenes stretched on, I found myself losing interest in his struggle. It doesn’t helt that the other main character populating these scenes, Cinquanta, follows a character arc that I found totally unbelievable and unconvincing.
The larger problem that I have with All the Money in the World is that it feels too long. Unusually, this isn’t a pacing issue, and rather an issue of balance. Scott is trying to balance the more straightforward thriller elements of the film with the intrigue of the biographical story in which the elder Getty features. Both aspects are individually successful, but the film never finds a reason for the two to coexist, and as such the film never fully coheres, and, while in one section of the story, often loses the thread of the other. Towards the end this problem becomes less noticeable, as Williams finally bridges the two sides of the story. However, because the two halves of All the Money in the World never really mesh, it just feels like there is too much content to get through, as if watching two mini-films. It’s a shame, because both halves are individually really good, with Christopher Plummer’s scenes hitting some real highs.
All the Money in the World is by no means a bad film: at its worst, the film is always either entertaining or interesting, and while I wasn’t always engaged, the best scenes demonstrate what the film aims to be throughout. Scott’s direction is always competent and lively, and never intrusive, and had the film managed to cohere just a little more, it could well have been another masterpiece in Scott’s filmography. As it is, this is by no means a disposable film, and still manages to be an entertaining and thrilling ride.
In a word: While not always perfect, this is a really well made film with a standout performance, in which, when everything clicks, has the power to simultaneously fascinate and thrill.
Grade: B
Come back tomorrow to check out our review of Molly’s Game!
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