All the Money in the World was done. Finished, complete, in the can- whatever word you want to apply, it was ready to be released in theaters. And then disaster struck. Kevin Spacey, who was originally starring in the film as cold-hearted oil baron J. Paul Getty, was accused of sexual assault and other vile crimes by a growing tide of young actors in Hollywood. In a post-Weinstein era, there was no hope for salvaging his career- he was a goner. All of a sudden, the latest film from acclaimed director Ridley Scott was in jeopardy of becoming collateral damage to its supporting star's improprieties. Sony canceled the film's prestigious AFI Festival premiere, with pundits and writers speculating that the kidnapping drama would be delayed for months. And even then, who would go see a movie with such a tainted, maligned actor at its center? The whole thing seemed like a lost cause.
But Ridley Scott found a way. When I first read the breaking news report, I thought it was a joke. Yet sure enough, the indefatigable Scott had abruptly decided that Spacey would be cut from the movie entirely, replaced by Christopher Plummer, the man he wanted for the job in the first place. And being a Ridley Scott film, there would be no damn delay- this thing was getting to theaters in December come hell or high water. The sheer audacity of the plan and the ease with which Scott pulled the whole thing off is genuinely jaw-dropping, and I think it's going to take some time for everyone to realize just what a feat this was for the 80-year old filmmaker. All the Money in the World has already racked up several award nominations, and Scott himself will undoubtedly be feted throughout the rest of the awards season.
Making this happen on such a short timeline took guts and an iron will- if only the film was half as thrilling.
Don't get me wrong, it's crazy that a large chunk of this film was only completed a month ago. That is undeniably impressive, and Scott deserves all the credit in the world. Michelle Williams is downright marvelous as desperate mother Gail, and while this sentiment has already been expressed by smarter writers than me, Christopher Plummer is so good as Getty that it's insane to think that anyone else could have played the part. When the film focuses on the mental tug of war between Gail and Getty, there are some sequences of real dramatic intensity and complexity. But as a taut and suspenseful kidnapping thriller, All the Money in the World falters. It jolts to life on occasion, gaining just enough momentum to move along to the next scene. And yet it feels overstuffed and under-nourished, a smart film that is far too long (an occasionally punishing 133 minutes) and filled with half-baked ideas. Still, All the Money in the World is a decent enough watch, a well-shot and well-performed drama with a few memorable moments. I just wish the film's collection of brilliant concepts and finely tuned nuances amounted to something stronger than this.
As the film tells us multiple times, J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) was not only the richest man in the world in the 1970s, but the richest man in the history of the world. Worth well over a billion dollars, the oil magnate wants to build an empire and a dynasty. But with all of that power comes danger for his family, and the film begins with the notorious kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, no relation to the star) by an Italian terrorist group. They hold the young Getty for ransom for $17 million dollars, and his mother, Gail Harris (Michelle Williams), wants his powerful grandfather to pay the money. But Getty refuses, citing his fear of starting a trend of kidnappings. Instead, he instructs his CIA security expert Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) to investigate, helping Gail and getting back her son with as little problems as possible. As Gail and Getty fight back and forth over what to do with the situation, the threat against John Paul's life grows, and the race against time to save him begins to seem impossible.
All the Money in the World maintains a consistent tone while simultaneously never quite deciding what it wants to be. That's not something that happens all too often. As a ticking-clock hostage thriller, it moves in bursts, gaining some momentum on a scene-to-scene basis before settling down for several moments that feel like filler. It wants to be gripping and shocking, but there are only a few moments in the story that feel genuinely disturbing. For every sequence where the film is revving its engine with energy, there's another scene where the narrative slows to a halt. All the Money in the World is filled with false leads and red herrings, repetitive movements that lose their intensity as the plot moves forward. Despite his best attempt, Ridley Scott is never able to take David Scarpa's script to build up a head of steam- the film's conventional action elements remain only moderately engaging.
Oddly enough, the quiet moments emerge as some of the most dramatically involving, as the psychological warfare between Michelle Williams' determined Gail and Christopher Plummer's despicable Getty reaches a fever pitch. Forget the hostage negotiations between a miscast Mark Wahlberg and the Italian terrorists- it's the mental chess game between the two leads that practically takes over the entire movie. Scott's greatest trick here is creating multiple layers to the nightmare situation, creating a clever equivalence between the Getty empire and the terrorists, while also allowing Getty's twisted perspective to make some kind of sense. Scott does a brilliant job of conveying the beautiful opulence of the Getty world, making it so alluring that you can understand why a young John Paul would be enticed by it all. But as the deceit and the greed ramp up to inconceivable levels, it's fun to watch Gail and Getty face off in a battle of wits, setting out to manipulate each other with all of the assets at their disposal.
Of course, this puts Williams and Plummer at the center of the action, allowing them to steal the show. Williams had a big 2017 with supporting roles in The Greatest Showman and Wonderstruck, but she delivers a towering, powerful performance as Gail Harris. Williams takes what could be a frantic and cliched role and creates something tough and complex, crafting a no-nonsense character who is constantly preparing for her next move, a cunning strategist and a loving mother. As a perfect foil for the mannered and fierce Williams, Plummer pulls off a dazzling balance between ambitious charisma and ice-cold emptiness. There are some great scenes early in the movie between Plummer and a young John Paul, and it only makes the brutality of Getty's response to the kidnapping feel that much more gut-wrenching. For an actor who came in with only weeks left, Plummer does brilliant work, and the chemistry he has with Williams is downright tremendous.
All the Money in the World is also a handsomely made film, crafted under the steady hand of Scott with bleak and gorgeous cinematography from Dariusz Wolski. But even with strong performances and rock solid filmmaking, the historical drama never quite reaches its full potential, a thriller lacking in thrills and propulsive urgency. It's talky and overlong until it decides to occasionally kick into high gear- it's just unfortunate that those momentary jolts of energy never last. Scott's feat of filmmaking deserves a round of applause, but the final product left me wanting more.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.7/10)
Images courtesy of Sony
But Ridley Scott found a way. When I first read the breaking news report, I thought it was a joke. Yet sure enough, the indefatigable Scott had abruptly decided that Spacey would be cut from the movie entirely, replaced by Christopher Plummer, the man he wanted for the job in the first place. And being a Ridley Scott film, there would be no damn delay- this thing was getting to theaters in December come hell or high water. The sheer audacity of the plan and the ease with which Scott pulled the whole thing off is genuinely jaw-dropping, and I think it's going to take some time for everyone to realize just what a feat this was for the 80-year old filmmaker. All the Money in the World has already racked up several award nominations, and Scott himself will undoubtedly be feted throughout the rest of the awards season.
Making this happen on such a short timeline took guts and an iron will- if only the film was half as thrilling.
Don't get me wrong, it's crazy that a large chunk of this film was only completed a month ago. That is undeniably impressive, and Scott deserves all the credit in the world. Michelle Williams is downright marvelous as desperate mother Gail, and while this sentiment has already been expressed by smarter writers than me, Christopher Plummer is so good as Getty that it's insane to think that anyone else could have played the part. When the film focuses on the mental tug of war between Gail and Getty, there are some sequences of real dramatic intensity and complexity. But as a taut and suspenseful kidnapping thriller, All the Money in the World falters. It jolts to life on occasion, gaining just enough momentum to move along to the next scene. And yet it feels overstuffed and under-nourished, a smart film that is far too long (an occasionally punishing 133 minutes) and filled with half-baked ideas. Still, All the Money in the World is a decent enough watch, a well-shot and well-performed drama with a few memorable moments. I just wish the film's collection of brilliant concepts and finely tuned nuances amounted to something stronger than this.
As the film tells us multiple times, J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) was not only the richest man in the world in the 1970s, but the richest man in the history of the world. Worth well over a billion dollars, the oil magnate wants to build an empire and a dynasty. But with all of that power comes danger for his family, and the film begins with the notorious kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, no relation to the star) by an Italian terrorist group. They hold the young Getty for ransom for $17 million dollars, and his mother, Gail Harris (Michelle Williams), wants his powerful grandfather to pay the money. But Getty refuses, citing his fear of starting a trend of kidnappings. Instead, he instructs his CIA security expert Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) to investigate, helping Gail and getting back her son with as little problems as possible. As Gail and Getty fight back and forth over what to do with the situation, the threat against John Paul's life grows, and the race against time to save him begins to seem impossible.
All the Money in the World maintains a consistent tone while simultaneously never quite deciding what it wants to be. That's not something that happens all too often. As a ticking-clock hostage thriller, it moves in bursts, gaining some momentum on a scene-to-scene basis before settling down for several moments that feel like filler. It wants to be gripping and shocking, but there are only a few moments in the story that feel genuinely disturbing. For every sequence where the film is revving its engine with energy, there's another scene where the narrative slows to a halt. All the Money in the World is filled with false leads and red herrings, repetitive movements that lose their intensity as the plot moves forward. Despite his best attempt, Ridley Scott is never able to take David Scarpa's script to build up a head of steam- the film's conventional action elements remain only moderately engaging.
Oddly enough, the quiet moments emerge as some of the most dramatically involving, as the psychological warfare between Michelle Williams' determined Gail and Christopher Plummer's despicable Getty reaches a fever pitch. Forget the hostage negotiations between a miscast Mark Wahlberg and the Italian terrorists- it's the mental chess game between the two leads that practically takes over the entire movie. Scott's greatest trick here is creating multiple layers to the nightmare situation, creating a clever equivalence between the Getty empire and the terrorists, while also allowing Getty's twisted perspective to make some kind of sense. Scott does a brilliant job of conveying the beautiful opulence of the Getty world, making it so alluring that you can understand why a young John Paul would be enticed by it all. But as the deceit and the greed ramp up to inconceivable levels, it's fun to watch Gail and Getty face off in a battle of wits, setting out to manipulate each other with all of the assets at their disposal.
Of course, this puts Williams and Plummer at the center of the action, allowing them to steal the show. Williams had a big 2017 with supporting roles in The Greatest Showman and Wonderstruck, but she delivers a towering, powerful performance as Gail Harris. Williams takes what could be a frantic and cliched role and creates something tough and complex, crafting a no-nonsense character who is constantly preparing for her next move, a cunning strategist and a loving mother. As a perfect foil for the mannered and fierce Williams, Plummer pulls off a dazzling balance between ambitious charisma and ice-cold emptiness. There are some great scenes early in the movie between Plummer and a young John Paul, and it only makes the brutality of Getty's response to the kidnapping feel that much more gut-wrenching. For an actor who came in with only weeks left, Plummer does brilliant work, and the chemistry he has with Williams is downright tremendous.
All the Money in the World is also a handsomely made film, crafted under the steady hand of Scott with bleak and gorgeous cinematography from Dariusz Wolski. But even with strong performances and rock solid filmmaking, the historical drama never quite reaches its full potential, a thriller lacking in thrills and propulsive urgency. It's talky and overlong until it decides to occasionally kick into high gear- it's just unfortunate that those momentary jolts of energy never last. Scott's feat of filmmaking deserves a round of applause, but the final product left me wanting more.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.7/10)
Images courtesy of Sony
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