Thursday, January 25, 2018

All the Money in the World (2017, R)

This is another Oscar-buzz movie that I caught before the nominations, which all told, shook out to a supporting actor nod for Christopher Plummer.  Which is certainly understandably – after all, the film is famous for its last-minute reshoots to avoid controversy and completely recast Kevin Spacey with Plummer.  While this move was at least as much about PR, profit, and, yes, award buzz, as it was about ethics (likely more so,) I’m still glad they did it.  It’s a fine film, and it would have been a shame for Spacey to bring it down with him.

All the Money in the World is based on the true story of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, grandson to “the richest man in the history of the world.”  When Paul is snatched, the kidnappers demand $17 million his mother Gail definitely does not have.  She appeals to Getty, her ex-father-in-law, for help, but the billionaire isn’t prepared to pay a penny in ransom.  Instead, he sends Fletcher Chase, a former CIA agent and his top dealmaker, to negotiate Paul’s release – as cheaply as possible.

Watching the movie, it’s impossible to lose sight of the fact that Plummer’s entire role (as Getty) was reshot and edited into the film in under six weeks.  It’s true that it’s a supporting part – Gail is probably the lead – but it’s quite a bit bigger than I was expecting after hearing about the 11th-hour recast.  Clearly, there was a good deal of fast, efficient, high-quality work performed by a lot of people to make this happen, and that’s to be commended.  It becomes even more impressive when you consider that time crunch, but either way, Plummer’s performance is terrific and that nomination is well-deserved.  His Getty is fascinating, so greedy but at the same time sort of warm and non-malicious.  He holds my attention completely every moment he’s onscreen.

As usual with “based on a true story” movies, I don’t know for such how much of this story actually happened as it does in the film, though I’ve heard that there was some definite dramatic license to make the climax more action film-ish.  But regardless of what’s true and what’s not, this is a pretty interesting story.  As I’ve said, Getty functions much as a Scrooge, but doesn’t quite feel like one.  When asked how much he’d pay for the return of his grandson and he replies, almost bemusedly, “Nothing,” it’s as if the very idea of it is so absurd to him, he doesn’t know what to make of it.  As Paul narrates, that level of wealth almost erases Getty’s humanness, and he interacts with the rest of the world like an alien who doesn’t understand our ways.  His interplay with Gail is great.  I love watching this woman work at how to get past this implacable giant who won’t give her grandson the help he needs.  I also like the confusing, conflicted relationship between Paul and one of his kidnappers, Cinquanta.

Plummer, by the way, isn’t the only actor turning in fine work here.  Michelle Williams (The Station Agent alumni forever!!) is great as Gail, and in a year where the lead actress category wasn’t so packed, I’d have hoped she’d get a nomination.  I really enjoy Romain Duris as Cinquanta (he also played Xavier in The Spanish Apartment – blast from the past!), and the film additionally features Mark Wahlberg as Chase and Andrew Buchan (Mark from Broadchurch) as Paul’s dad.

Warnings

Violence, drinking/smoking, drug references, language, sexual references, and thematic elements.

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