All the Money in the World – I saw the film on Christmas Day. I attended solo. It was mid-afternoon and the theater was full-to-capacity with families seeing films together during the holiday. 
As I waited in the lobby, I spent some time people-watching and struck up a conversation with a couple of women my parent’s age. We reminisced about movies, family, and the holidays. You may be wondering why I preface my review with this anecdote. I do so because it was in sharp contrast to the family at the center of this true story, the Getty family, with the patriarch not only the richest man in the world at the time of this story, but the richest man in all of history. This is a story about how some individuals value things over people, money over relationships. Getty made his fortune in oil, and grew it by investing in art, real estate, and investments. When his beloved grandson was kidnapped by radical political terrorists, he did not want to pay the ransom, and instead held unto his money even tighter. The hero of the film was Abigail Getty, played rivetingly by Michelle Williams, the divorced mother of the kidnapped John Paul Getty III (nicknamed Paul). She made a bargain with the elder Getty when she divorced his son, forgoing any generous financial windfall and spousal support in exchange for only child support and custody of her children, which left her at the time of the kidnapping unable to pay any of the ransom. That negotiation would create the story’s pivotal arc, how can she rescue her son, when his grandfather, who possessed all the money in the world refused to let go of any of it. Christopher Plummer, replaced Kevin Spacey in that role after his sexual harassment allegations were made public, and director Ridley Scott, in this viewer’s estimation, seamlessly re-shot all the scenes. I can’t imagine Spacey’s performance surpassing Plummer’s, who was both credible and compelling as Getty. The only miscast character for me was Mark Wahlberg as Fletcher Chase, Getty’s trusted security specialist and former CIA operative, retained to negotiate with the kidnappers and protect Abigail and Paul. The story drags in places and slows down the tension yet ratchets it back up. It’s part thriller, suspense and adult-tuned action movie, based on true events depicting how power, wealth, and greed can corrupt, and that sometimes you can have all of the former and be left with nothing. It’s a story for our times. It’s not a perfect film, yet I recommend it with reservation.
Can’t wait to read more? Visit the blog where there are more reviews for: Documentaries, The Best Foreign Film, Honorable Mention, Films I Haven’t Seen Yet, Guilty Pleasures, Films I Wanted to Like More Than I Did, Films I Chose Not to See, and, Dream Double Features.