Tag: New York City

MOLLY’S GAME

Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) uses her wits to run her own poker games.

MOLLY’S GAME

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Birth order does matter. Molly Bloom was at most 4 years older than her two brothers, Jordan and Jeremy. For many years, she was older, brighter and stronger than they were.

Then in a curious twist of fate, she ends up with a serious back surgery around the age of twelve. Her edge, her leadership, her physical and mental advantage interrupted, but not forever.

Molly is now the subject of an Academy Award film, “Molly’s Game”, in the category of Best Adapted Screenplay, based on a biographical book that she wrote.

Females are not supposed to outshine their brothers, not in this world or even in an American culture. But, Molly started out ahead, and that has a built in confidence that is ingrained for life.

I hate to speculate on this, but society has its way of preventing such women from succeeding, and from keeping that confidence and advantage.

Molly’s family wants her to become an attorney, but Molly talks them into a year’s delay. Her travels end up in Los Angeles, which is unauthorized and, at which point, her funds are discontinued.

For the first time in her life, Molly (Jessica Chastain) is doing what she wants to do. She is attracted to the film capitol of the world.

Suddenly, without funds, she gets a job as a cocktail waitress. A far cry from an attorney, but it enables her to stay in Los Angeles.

Seeing her comfort and confidence around men, a real estate agent, Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong) invites Molly to be his personal assistant in putting together underground poker games, in which a room full of Hollywood male stars and the elite are invited.

Suddenly, Molly is making $3000 dollar a night tips for her efforts.

Molly is his assistant in this business, and she can see that he is not making it work, but rather than helping him correct this, she betrays him.

Yes, he was verbally abusive to her, but when it comes down to where the rubber meets the road, the boys will always stick together.

Her next mistake is taking her poker games to New York City, which is an even more dangerous place for a woman to try to outshine the guys.

The mob must have seen her as an easy mark, when they saw the kinds of money that was changing hands in her multi-million dollar poker enterprise, all operated by women.

Molly should now be able to see the value of a tough Dean Keith as a partner, because addicts have no boundaries.

A career as a poker princess was not meant to be, but it was not right living anyway.

Skipping ahead, Molly is back in Hollywood, selling her book idea, “Molly’s Game” to screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin.

This is what Molly was meant to do, this is her future, if she chooses to take it.

I found this film to be very timely, considering the “Me Too” climate of today.

Jessica Chastain does a fabulous job of portraying her character, who gets emotionally abused, beat up and hammered by the justice system.

It is noteworthy to say that Jessica Chastain was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture at the Golden Globes.

Molly Bloom, post poker games.

History vs Hollywood:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/mollys-game/

Molly Bloom Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Bloom_(author)

The rise and fall and rise of Molly Bloom:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-molly-bloom-32sfw9fr7

Watch Author Molly Bloom Speak at MPW Next Gen I Fortune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyAghWuqyFY

Molly Bloom – Molly’s Game Movie Interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK8pbMeKnrI

Molly Bloom & Jessica Chastain Interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPojk2niG2M

MOLLY’S GAME Interviews- Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba and Aaron Sorkin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsnrc34g09A

Academy Conversations: Molly’s Game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grb_sYmqQsQ

Jessica Chastain Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Chastain

Aaron Sorkin Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin – From Addict to Academy Award Nominee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObIfH4utYPU

Aaron Sorkin on the fears he faced in directing “Molly’s Game”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0mThA3kvEg

Aaron Sorkin sorts truth and fiction in his directorial debut, Colorado-rooted “Molly’s Game”:

http://theknow.denverpost.com/2017/12/22/aaron-sorkin-mollys-game-molly-bloom-colorado-interview/170666/

Mother, Char Bloom on board of Make a Wish:

https://wishofalifetime.org/about/board-of-directors/char-bloom/

Molly’s Bio with pictures:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5255519/Molly-Bloom-leads-quiet-life-poker-princess-days.html

Molly with her brothers Jordan (left) and Jeremy (right)

Molly on slopes with her two brothers.

1/26/2018 # Molly’s Game

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them

Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) has the Hermione role and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has the Potter role as a defender of Magical Beasts.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The “Fantastic Beasts” magical clan in New York does not have the warmth of its English, “Harry Potter” counterpart.

It does not feel like 70 years back in time, rather like 70 years ahead of time. The United States does not have the castles and New York definitely does not have the English countryside. I think it should have started in England, just for reference.

Eddie Redmayne staring as Newt Scamander has the Potter role as a defender of Magical Beasts. In 2014, he starred as Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything” and in 2016, Redmayne starred in the biographical drama “The Danish Girl,” which I could not get out of my mind while I was watching this movie.

What I would have liked to see was Newt capturing those beasts, in England and in other countries, then going to New York. It is not clear why he is going to New York. Why not just go straight to Arizona to release his creatures?

Katherine Waterston staring as Tina Goldstein, has the Hermione Granger role, but is a sorry version of her. Tina is a failure as an auror. She lacks the intelligence, pluck and inventiveness of a Hermione. She looks less powerful and she is less powerful. I would have liked to see her blossom into her power.

I found it hard to believe that Tina could have held onto Newt, without his polite co-operation. This is a very lop-sided partnership.

Turns out, Tina has a sister, Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), who usurps all the sex appeal, beauty and heart, in her role. Too bad she prefers non-magical folk as possible suitors, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler).

Queenie seems to appreciate Jacob’s appreciation of her cooking. Okay, this is playing it too traditional. They keep Jacob around because he is so likeable?

Toward the end of this story, the magical beasts lose the focus. Now, we need to pay attention to magical children who have been abused by non-magical folk. Harry Potter was abused, but he never became a monster.

To tie this story together, Newt could have tamed this child, just like he does his magical beasts. That would have tied this story together better for me.

Are they a magical clan in New York, or vampires in New York? I was left with a very cold, disappointed feeling.

Screen-writer, J. K. Rowling, seems to suffer under the pressure of trying crank something out. I like it when she is adventurous and really knows and loves her territory.

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11/28/2016 # Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

SULLY

sully-plane-with-people-on-wings

Sullenberger manages to land the aircraft in the Hudson without any casualties.

sully-with-co-pilot-jeff

Tom Hanks as Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Aaron Eckhart as co-pilot Jeff Skiles.

SULLY

By Marlene Ardoin

January 2009 was a month of miracles. The first African American became a U.S. President, and on January 15^th, an American pilot, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger saved 155 passengers by landing his plane on the New York Hudson River.

The film, “Sully”, not only captures this event, but it plays homage to the experience of an older pilot, who used his years of training to its maximum advantage. His aircraft was disabled by striking a flock of Canada geese during its initial climb out of LaGuardia Airport of New York City.

We all have had experiences where we cannot believe that something is happening, then we are forced to let go and let intuition take over. The angel guides of Sully Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and his crew landed what appeared to be an impossible plane landing.

Happening just a few years after New York’s 9/11 event in 2001, the New York rescue teams were well prepared for such an event.

This film also brings up the question of what other actions might have been taken. Of course, the event had to be investigated, even though all the passengers were saved. Someone has to think about the damage to the plane. Can one sue the Canadian geese? How about the Canadian government as the responsible party?

Sully had no previous experience with water landings, but he was a glider pilot and a safety expert. In this film, he tells the investigators that he just eye-balled it. Tom Hank’s Sully has a lot of personal dignity and charm in his communication style.

Here are a few interesting side facts.

His co-pilot, (Aaron Eckhart as Jeff Skiles) was a relative stranger. They had little experience flying together. “At the time of the accident, Captain Sullenberger had logged a total of 19,663 flight hours, 4,765 of which were accumulated in A320 aircraft. He was also a safety expert and a glider pilot.

The first officer was Jeffrey B. Skiles, 49, who was on the last leg of his first assignment in the Airbus A320 since passing the training course to fly the type. Skiles has accrued 15,643 flight hours throughout his career.

Sully’s own father, committed suicide in 1995, which is not brought up in the film. “On December 7, 1995, Sullenberger’s father committed suicide by gunshot shortly after being released from the hospital for major surgery. He had been suffering from depression in the face of a long and difficult convalescence ahead of him.” Among other things, Sully is a suicide prevention activist.

Sullenberger married fitness expert and television personality Lorraine “Lorrie” Sullenberger in 1989 (Laura Linney as Lorraine Sullenberger), with whom he has two daughters, Kate and Kelly. The Sullenbergers reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.

And director, Clint Eastwood, has made yet another provocative film featuring the resilience of Americans.

Chesley Sullenberger – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesley_Sullenberger

Real events vs. Hollywood depiction:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/sully/

9/21/2016 # Sully