Rated Greg’s Aaron Sorkin Rankings
- The Social Network
- Molly’s Game
- Steve Jobs
- A Few Good Men
Moneyball
Molly’s Game is an undeniably delightful smorgasbord of a movie. The rise and fall of ____, CHECK. Courtroom drama, CHECK. High stakes, CHECK. Organized crime, CHECK. Family strife, CHECK. Sports, CHECK. Cleavage, CHECK. Holding all of these moving parts together is peak level dialogue from none other than Aaron Sorkin. He took some hits years ago for the misguidedly “elitist” Newsroom on HBO, but all is forgiven if he keeps throwing down en fuego screenplays like this.
Similar to Quentin Tarantino, Sorkin’s dialogue is one of a kind in that you can always immediately tell if you’re watching an Aaron Sorkin script on the big screen or TV. There are many imitators, but no one can write conversations enriched with fast paced zingers between two smart people quite like he can. Tossing Idris Elba and Jessica Chastain in a room with these ingredients is just as thrilling as any action scene.
I saw Molly’s Game on New Years Day and I’m a little mad at myself for putting out the all-important 2017 Rated Greg awards the day before. Had I waited until I saw all of the holiday season Oscar contenders, this definitely would have factored into several slots. Specifically, you can go ahead insert Chastain into the Best Lead performance conversation. Firing on all cylinders, she’s never been better. Molly’s Game also wins the award for best dialogue and best opening scene (yes, even over Baby Driver). As for Idris Elba, his supporting performance is nothing short of magnificent. For real, why is he not a bigger deal by now? It’s been THIRTEEN years since Stringer Bell bit the dust, can we scrap all of these dumbass Liam Neeson movies and give Elba some leading man roles in top notch scripts? Fame is best measured by our parents and there’s no way in hell I should have to tell my Mom the name of the handsome actor who played Molly’s lawyer, and yet I did. Grade: A-
Rated Greg 