All The Money In the World - Movie Review
All the money in the world is a dramatic retelling of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. 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 (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.
All the money in the world trailer
My rating
7.5 out of 10
It's nearly impossible to separate what happened off screen with the final product of All the Money in the World and the drama surrounding the lead by having put this movie in a bad light to start with. As pretty much everyone knows, Christopher Plummer was pulled in at the last minute to play J. Paul Getty, reshooting all of the scenes previously featuring Kevin Spacey in a performance we will now never see thanks to the sexual harassment scandal that emerged about him.
With that said, Ridley Scott pretty much couldn't have done a better job at making a seamless transition from Kevin Spacey to Christopher Plummer in the role of J. Paul Getty. Inevitably that will be the one thing people always remember about this film, but in the end, the film succeeds elsewhere as a thriller based around the kidnapping of Getty's grandson in Rome in 1973.
The part of the movie that I enjoyed most was its non-stop pacing. Whether or not all of the bells and whistles of this story were true, Scott is determined to keep you on the edge of your seat with suspense, even if you ultimately know where the story ends up.
The true events are unfortunately tragic for many involved, but in the end, it's the character of J. Paul Getty that makes for a truly riveting character to watch. We see a man finally feel some sort of human emotion from the cold calculated businessman he spent his life being.
Not willing to budge to pay a single dime for his grandson's ransom is beyond frugal, and the fact that the events didn't play out in an even worse manor is a miracle.
Getty's pushback (or lack thereof) makes for a great back and forth with his daughter in law, Gail Harris (played by Michelle Williams). Williams is brilliant in everything, and she once again kills it as the desperate but under control mother of a kidnapped son.
Her performance is only overshadowed by Plummer come award shows, but Williams' talent will never go unnoticed by me.
Ultimately, All the Money in the World is a fascinating tale of greed, frugality, power, and the differences in people's approach to high-pressure situations. From great performances to an impressive and important feat from Scott's last-minute direction, I quite appreciate what All the Money in the World was trying to tell me.
It is by no means a perfect movie but is definately a stand out from the mediocre content we've been fed and a welcomed break from a rehash of a comic book, gaming franchise or remake of a classic which is what seems to get all the box office breaks these days.
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It's based on real events?
Yes the movie is based on true events of the Getty family