All the Money in the World

All the Money in the World (2017)

Starring Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Charlie Plummer, and Romain Durais

Directed by Ridley Scott

Written by David Scarpa

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Sixteen year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is the grandson of the richest man in the world.  When he is kidnapped by members of an Italian crime ring,  his captors demand a ransom of $17 million which his mother Gail (Michelle Williams) assumes will be paid by her former father-in-law (Christopher Plummer).  However, John Paul Getty refuses to part with any of his money, leading to a family face-off.

Undoubtedly an intriguing story anchored by a strong, emotional performance by Michelle Williams, <em>All the Money in the World</em> doesn't quite work in large part because of some pacing issues that hamper it.  

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C+ 

Movie Review - King Jack

King Jack (2016)

Starring Charlie Plummer, Cory Nichols, Christian Madsen, Daniel Flaherty, and Erin Davie

Directed by Felix Thompson

***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Jack (Charlie Plummer) is a fifteen year-old kid who is a bit of a loner.  His tough exterior can't help prevent him from getting bullied by Shane (Daniel Flaherty) or being hurt when he's rejected by his crush.  When Jack's younger cousin Ben (Cory Nichols) visits for the weekend, Jack's attempts at being more responsible don't exactly go as planned and he and Ben experience a weekend that's full of a few euphoric ups and several scary downs.

King Jack is a low budget indie that tells a simple story, but thanks to a riveting lead performance by the young Charlie Plummer, it's elevated to something that's a bit more than the sum of its parts.  First time writer-director Felix Thompson has crafted a film that feels strongly grounded in reality.  The young cast is engaging, but Plummer in particular is strikingly impressive.  Jack's hardened exterior masks a melancholic nature that is palpably felt by the audience thanks to Plummer's facial expressions and dialog.  The film itself isn't reinventing the wheel, but sometimes that's okay when it's trying to tell a realistic day-in-the-life type story and it's especially okay when your film is anchored by such an impressive younger actor who I hope has an opportunity to showcase his talent in the future.

The RyMickey Rating:  B