All the Money in the World is worth every dollar you spend on it [Review]
Based on real events, Michelle Williams’s portrayal of a desperate mother whose child has been kidnapped steals the show
Michelle Williams deserved an Oscar nomination for her role in All the Money in the World.All the Money in the World is a gripping thriller with great performances from the star-studded cast. The drama based on the real-life kidnapping of notoriously selfish billionaire J. Paul Getty’s grandson will have you at the edge of your seat for most of its slightly long running time of 2 hour 15 minutes.
When 16 year-old John (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped in Rome, his grandfather - and the world’s richest man at the time - J.Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) refuses to pay the ransom. With the kidnappers’ increasingly unpredictable behaviour ramping up, John’s mother Gail (Michelle Williams) tries to convince her money-obsessed ex-father-in-law to change his mind by teaming up with Getty’s security advisor Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg).
William’s stellar work as the distraught mother of a kidnapped child may be the best performance in her acting career so far - certainly worthy of deserved an Oscar nod. If you've watched her recent turn as the sweet and mellow wife in The Greatest Showman, you’ll be completely amazed by the difference here as she plays an independent and resolute mother who’s desperate to save her son.
Relative newcomer Charlie Plummer (who's not related to his on-screen grandfather in real life, by the way) also does a nice job as the extremely frightened and exhausted victim just trying to stay alive. Christopher Plummer’s spot-on performances as the extremely self-serving and heartless grandfather will fill you with disgust throughout the entire film.
The plot does take a while to get going, but once it does, the plot throws some good twists and turns at you, and the suspenseful soundtrack will keep you in the right tension-filled mood.
The mystery drama film is also an excellent lesson about what money and greed can do to corrupt a human heart: The more you have, the more you want, and you’ll never have enough to feel satisfied until you learn to appreciate what you already have.
As a brilliant showcase of nuanced acting, All The Money in the World is an exciting adventure that won’t disappoint.
Edited by Jamie Lam