I am a big Sorkin fan. I really enjoy his witty dialogue and fast paced scenes. Furthermore, I find that his work often has redemption as a core arc hidden within, which I think is a guilt pleasure of mine, right next to classical stories of the few good triumphing over the mighty evil.

Unfortunately, while Molly’s game has all the trademark Sorkinisms, it never quite feels real. The film starts with a voice over narration and that never goes away. So by the end of it, you are stuck with a really long explainer video with very little story to work on. I think the main reason for this is because this story lacks characters. Sure there are people in them, but none of them have any real stakes that we care about except Molly. And while she does have her demons, we don’t get to sit with her and just relate. She feels like a fictional character in some fairy tale who can’t be broken, can’t be shaken, who has a singular purpose and one that while admirable is not enough.

Furthermore, the film’s pace is relentless. It is so much dialogue, that is, on average, so irrelevant or uninteresting, that over all, the gems present are lost in the rough.

All in all, a very subpar watch lacking in pacing and depth that Sorkin’s works usually have.