My face was burning. In real life, his name was Darin Feinstein, a co-owner of The Viper Room who brought Molly on as an executive assistant. Leo was tighter than a gnats ass.. Hailing from Queretaro, Mexico, she is a graduate of the University of East Anglia's English Literature with Creative Writing program. In real life, Molly began . However, because the book was published between Mollys arrest and sentencing, it is unlikely Jaffey (or his equivalent) would have had time to do this in real life. Dean Keith. Increasingly successful, as Molly gains more money she is pressured by Player X to raise the stakes. Back in 2005, the Spider-Man star collaborated with a card cheat-turned-TV producer named Houston Curtis to create a regular poker game for themselves and their rich pals where as much as a few million bucks could be in play on any night. Desperate to turn things around, he lost weight. When Maguire convinced Bloom to increase the buy-ins for the L.A. games, he promised to bring Affleck into the fold. When she meets with Jaffey, he's already read her memoir. He said to me, Dude, I have to get these scumbags out of my house., (A representative for Washington had no comment.). The rest of Molly's Game never lives up to the promise of its first scene. How it plays out in the movie: Sorkins film introduces Harlan Eustice (played by Bill Camp), one of the few players at the game with a finite amount of income. How it plays out in the movie: Initially, Bloom didnt take a rakea percentage of the pot in handswhich made the questionable legality of running the poker games a little less questionable. If the story sounds familiar, that's because it inspired the 2018 movie "Molly's Game," starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, the former Olympic-class skier who was the hostess of the. She begins cocktail waitressing and catches the eye of producer Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong), who finds her smart and capable. BBC One - Molly's Game Thank you, I sniffled, wanting to believe him. I had to figure out - I had to do background checks and vet them to see if they were good for it. He told The Post that the actor tried making her bark like a seal [for a $1,000 chip]. Youre too rich now? Molly's Game is the true story of Molly Bloom a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. In the film, Player X is bothered by Bloom earning more and more money from the tips, saying he wants to cap itas he puts it, Your money is my money. Bloom is, obviously, insulted by this. It stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Joe Keery, Brian D'Arcy James, and Bill Camp. . Sorkin's style of giving characters extended monologues and extremely cutting lines has been criticizedas over-the-top and unrealistic, which are sometimes fair descriptions of Sorkin's work. Bloom read in the newspaper that the FBI had arrested close to 125 individuals in a large-scale mob roundup. He was crass and dirty, but he was still hot in a caveman kind of way. The $3,000 in tips comes straight from her memoir. Maguire and Curtis arranged things with club co-owner Darin Feinstein. Bark like a seal who wants a fish, he said. 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But because those anecdotes are still thoroughly interesting, lets go through all of the stories behind Mollys Gamestarting with Player Xs true identity, and then touching on the stuff that didnt make it into the movie. To add insult to injury, Tobey then victoriously showed his bluff. Im sorry, he said, as if he had just realized that I was a real person with real feelings. Two who did were Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Lalibert and hedge-fund manager Brad Ruderman. By the end of the book, its revealed that Maguire orchestrated Blooms ousting from the games. . Eustice is an on-screen stand-in for television producer Houston Curtis, who had the same lopsided arrangement with the actorthough Curtis said Maguire eventually let the debt slide. There's poker, the Russian mafia, the Italian mafia, celebrities, and sports. MOVIE REVIEW: Rookie errors mar Sorkin's directoral debut, 'Molly's Game' If the story sounds familiar, thats because it inspired the 2018 movie Mollys Game, starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, the former Olympic-class skier who was the hostess of the operation and who later would be arrested on gambling-related charges tied to a game she ran in New York City. [29] The film expanded wide on January 5, 2018, alongside the opening of Insidious: The Last Key, and was projected to gross around $6 million from 1,608 theaters in its opening weekend. (Spend it on a new dress, Dean suggests.) Who Is Player X Based On In 'Molly's Game'? The Michael Cera - Bustle But, ask anyone who's read Molly Bloom's book, and they'll have a few ideas who Player X is based on in Molly's Game. Mollys Game takes its inspiration from both the memoir and close work between Sorkin and Bloom herself, so Bloom was there to fill in the details between 2014, when the book was published, and 2017, when the movie hit theaters. Matt and Craig talk Oscar tactics and more, then later end the show with a prediction about Chris Rocks live comedy special on Netflix, Rachel and Callie also talk all the Bravo news of the week, By submitting your email, you agree to our, The Real Celebrity Stories Behind MollysGame. In Mollys Game, both sides of his persona are on display. Unbeknownst to Maguire, Curtis had a long career as a sleight-of-hand expert, scamming high-stakes games in LA. When Molly learns the ins and outs of illegal poker a little better, Dean ends up firing her because he essentially doesn't like the competition. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game is a true-life story of the Olympic standard American skier, Molly Bloom. He also relied heavily on her memoir of the same name (pictured below). In 2019, Molly Bloom married neuroscientist Devin Effinger. As my influence had increased, and my tips, so had his harping. Hey, yo, did that Jennifer Lopezs ass have cellulite on it, or was it nice?. The actor pressed guests to tip Meyer, a successful jewelry designer who is also the daughter of Ron Meyer, a former Hollywood power agent and now the vice-chairman of NBCUniversal. And as A-Rod took in the glamorous, well-appointed poker game I was running, a game that happened to have millions of dollars in chips on the table, the posturing started Alex Rodriguez was watching it all, and having a great time. "Molly's Game " (2017) Cast: Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom Idris Elba as Charlie Jaffey Kevin Costner as Larry Bloom Michael Cera as Player X Jeremy Strong as Dean Keith Chris O'Dowd as Douglas Downey J.C. MacKenzie as Harrison Wellstone Brian d'Arcy James as Brad Bill Camp as Harlan Eustice Graham . Get up on that desk and bark like a seal.. Dean Keith. The real 'Molly's Game': Inside Tobey Maguire's underground poker ring That is, until the 2017 release of the crime-drama Molly's Game. No. The Molly's Game true story reveals that, like in the movie, former freestyle mogul skier Molly Bloom had never made it to the Olympics, in part due to an injury. In the new movie, adapted from Bloom's book of the same name, Player X is a . In the spring of 1945, a grim era of bitter darkness, a young man and woman struggle for survival while fighting monsters born out of human greed. After a serious injury ruined her chances of skiing at the Olympics, Molly Blooms life changed direction. While Molly's Game is the compelling true story of Molly Bloom, Player X is an intriguing character with a shocking real-life inspiration. Aaron's Sorkin's Molly's Game stars Jessica Chastain as the real-life Molly Bloom, who ran the most exclusive high-stakes poker games in the world. Molly's Game [Blu-ray] [2017] - Best Buy The heart condition reversed itself. ", Yes. Player X, along with many others, leaves Dean's games to play at Molly's. And yet Sorkin's latest film and directorial debut Molly's Game is relatively faithful to the life of its subject, Molly Bloom (played by Jessica Chastain ). -Business Insider, It's somewhat obvious that "Player X" represents Tobey Maguire, who plays the biggest part in Bloom's memoir, but there's not an exact one-to-one correlation between the two. Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) makes his directorial debut with Molly's Game, which is based on the life of so-called "Poker Princess" Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a former Olympic skiing hopeful who turned to running high-stakes, celebrity-studded underground poker games in Los Angeles and New York after an unfortunate wipeout on the slopes . [28], Peter Debruge of Variety praised Sorkin's script, saying, " Molly's Game delivers one of the screen's great female parts a dense, dynamic, compulsively entertaining affair, whose central role makes stunning use of Chastain's stratospheric talent. Mollys Game features a star-studded cast, with Jessica Chastain in the titular role, Idris Elba as lawyer Charlie Jaffey, Kevin Costner as father Larry Bloom, and Michael Cera as the nasty Player X. and "What do they eat?" Molly's Game (2017) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Aaron Sorkin . Im going to make ten million this year on poker! Tobey once exclaimed, not knowing that I knew that Houston had told me about the alleged arrangement they had. -Vice, In 2014, Bloom, who was 36 at the time, was cleared of a number of the charges she was facing and was sentenced to one year probation, 200 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine. First Assistant Camera. Oops. Molly's Game features a star-studded cast, with Jessica Chastain in the titular role, Idris Elba as lawyer Charlie Jaffey, Kevin Costner as father Larry Bloom, and Michael Cera as the nasty Player X. Dean Keith is a real estate developer who introduces Molly Bloom to the world of underground poker. Her dealer convinces her to begin taking a percentage of large pots, recouping her potential losses but making her game an illegal gambling operation. MOLLY'S GAME is the true story of Molly Bloom a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her mother's sacrifice helped inspire her to write the book. Molly's Game Details and Credits - Metacritic This story has been shared 111,726 times. And I was getting stiffed a lot. Writer/director Aaron Sorkin even gives a nod to the Spider-Man actor at one point, with a line about "Player X" portraying a superhero. Editorial Reviews. Arrested by the FBI, she is indicted for involvement in illegal gambling with the mafia. There, she begins working as a cocktail waitress and then an assistant to a Hollywood insider, Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong, nice and sleazy), who soon has Molly running his weekly poker night out of . -EllenIn 2011, the group of hedge fund investors who had been taken in Bradley Ruderman's Ponzi scheme ended up suing Tobey Maguire and other celebrities. [27], Molly's Game grossed $28.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $30.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $59.3 million. That morning, heading home on autopilot, Curtis received a call from Maguire: He said he wanted to make sure I wasnt driving off a cliff. But overall, theMollys Game true story remains intact, despite this fictional person being included. After reaching out to many wealthy New Yorkers, Molly finds enough players for several weekly games. Worried about germs, he purportedly made them leave their shoes at the door and wear Crocs that he provided. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. But when we went to $200/$400 blinds making it a no-limit poker game in which you could easily lose six figures per night Todd backed off for a while. Not only was he devastatingly handsome, he was incredibly talented. He also makes his directorial debut, which made his choice of director of photography . But Maguire wasnt comfortable having players in his house. [30] The following weekend it dropped 44% to $3.9 million, finishing 11th. I didnt like this. She eventually moved up from assistant to game-runner, making as much as $4 million a year while servicingMolly's Game's Player X and other high rollers. It was a popular celebrity hangout and is famous for being the location where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning in 1993. Molly arrives in her best dressshe bought it for $88 at J.C. Penneyand collects $10,000 from every poker player who walks through the doors. He plays well, but one devastating hand causes Harlan to unravel and eventually accrue over $1 million of debt. Molly's Game streaming: where to watch movie online? - JustWatch Molly's Game (2017) Cast and Characters - Flick-O-Rama Here is the true story of what happened, including some details Mollys Game leaves out. That's how they found out about this game. Molly, having contacts through years of running the game, creates her own poker games. The guys included billionaires who had everything but fame. Mollys Game explores the world of underground poker, following the true story of Molly Bloom, as she transforms from Olympic-level skier to hostess of the most exclusive poker club in the world, to FBI target. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. But Tobey said, Dont worry. 7.0/10.0 for great acting and dialogue . The dream home was sold, he said. [25] It began a limited release in North America on December 25, 2017, before expanding wide on January 5, 2018. Maguire, who, according to unnamed sources in the books introduction, could have made up to $30 to $40 million from the games had reportedly earned $36.5 million plus back-end earnings on the Spider-Man franchise, thought otherwise. He wanted to make her feel included, said Curtis. Still, in his first film with a female protagonist, the writer-director has hit on a timely theme: the tribulations of being a woman in a man's world. "[22], Principal photography began on November 9, 2016, in Toronto. Here are some of Blooms stories about Maguire that made it into Sorkins big-screen adaptation. BARK., Tobey, I said. If what Houston told me was true, Tobey owned Houston now, and they must have both known it. I thought that was reasonable, said Curtis. I looked at him. Official Discussion: Molly's Game [SPOILERS] : r/movies - reddit Her only ally was criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned there was much more to Molly than poker. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, 'Babylon' review: Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie dazzle in this familiar showbiz tale, Comic book insider reveals John Malkovich as villain in canceled 'Spider-Man 4', Spider-Man fans respond to homophobic line cut from classic film, Andrew Garfield got stoned to Tobey Maguire: 'He's my Spider-Man'. As based on the book by Molly Bloom, Molly's Game shows what happens to Molly (played by Jessica Chastain), . It concluded: "One strong woman and many rich men make for a good show."[39]. She became known as the "Poker Princess.". Following a move to New York, a run-in with the mafia, drug addiction, and a major court case, the FBI eventually shut Bloom down. He had a strange style at the table, though; it was almost as if he wasnt trying to win or lose. She enlists Charlie Jaffey's help, a high-profile, expensive lawyer in New York, who agrees to help after learning she has been protecting innocent people affected by her poker games. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The film follows this storyline, giving narrative shape to the wild tale. Instead of attending law school immediately, Molly takes a year off and moves to LA. "[36] Mike Ryan of Uproxx gave the film 9/10, writing, "Molly's Game is a perfect story for Sorkin. A young woman, Molly ran high-stakes underground poker games that attracted high-profile Hollywood stars and wealthy criminals and eventually got her into trouble with the law. She has experience in editorial working as the deputy editor for Specialty Food, an online and print magazine, curating its news section and social media. Player X in Mollys Gameis quite clearly meant to represent Tobey Maguire, who Molly names in her book. She's also working in social media to that end as well. Molly's Game'sCharlie Jaffey, played by Idris Elba, isan entirely fictionalperson. Tobey Maguire wanted to take down Hollywood. Rick had no filter. The club had been partly owned by Johnny Depp from its opening in 1993 until 2004. J.C. MacKenzie. [33], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 309 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. "It saved my butt," says Bloom. In 2018, the movie was nominated in the 2018 Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay category. A lot of films in this biopic category play with a lot of creative licenses, and yes, there was some of that in terms of how he dealt with certain composite characters, but the rest was all true.. Based on a true story. X. . By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. I think for Tobey, it was more the thrill of knowing hed made a good deal.. Chastain is magneticso focusing on her character was a solid choiceand as Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter, he wanted to make Blooms riveting true story the center of his film, rather than the celebrities that inhabited the world she created. Overall, the changes between real life and Mollys Game were minor. That its all based on Blooms real-life experiences makes this one of the most fascinating true stories in years, and a revealing window into a high-stakes poker world in which a single hand could be worth more than most people make in their lifetime. More books than SparkNotes. Douglas Downey. The Molly's Game (2017 Film) Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. When she refused, a man showed up at her door with a gun. [31] In its third week of wide release the film grossed $1.7 million, finishing 19th. Initially, the thought of watching another run-of-the-mill poker film felt very unappealing. Curtis said that Ruderman was so inept and so rich that he was considered a godsend. Lalibert was also valued. I greeted Ben at the door. The so-called "Poker. With skiing out of the picture, Molly still felt a great deal of pressure to be successful. [15], On February 18, 2016, Sorkin offered Jessica Chastain the lead role in the film, but the negotiations between them had then not yet begun. As they recognized him, they turned into excitable little boys. Charlie negotiates a deal for Molly to receive no sentence and for her money to be returned in exchange for her hard drives and digital gambling records. Like in real life, barring some name changes, Dean Keith (The Big Short'sJeremy Strong) met Molly while she was waitressing and offered her a gig as his assistant at his night club. To learn more about her injury and time as a professional skier, read her book, Molly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World. One day Feinstein told her, "I'm going to need you to help me run this poker game." Though Player X is a memorable character on the periphery of Mollys Game, the film is very much centered on Bloom as she weaves her way through the poker scene in Los Angeles and New York, before it eventually catches the attention of the FBI. Walker's Life. I walked into my house, my daughter ran up to me, and I literally broke into tears.. When she isn't busy reading everything ever published under the mantle of Image Comics, you might find her writing fiction, rock climbing, or putting together a horror anthology with friends.