The movie's ambitions far exceed its grasp in 'All the Money in the World'
At 88, Christopher Plummer, who portrays John Paul Getty, is at the top of his game.
Christopher Plummer (l.) and Charlie Shotwell star in 'All the Money in the World.'
Fabio Lovino/Sony Pictures/AP
鈥淎ll the Money in the World鈥� will go down as a footnote to film history. This drama about the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III had a month until its theatrical release when the decision was made to replace Kevin Spacey, who has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault and who co-starred as J. Paul Getty, with Christopher Plummer. Amazingly, all of Spacey鈥檚 scenes were reshot and the film came out close to its original late December release date. Not long after this, it was revealed that Mark Wahlberg, who plays Getty Senior鈥檚 advisor, had received $1.5 million dollars for his reshoots while Michelle Williams, who plays Getty III鈥檚 mother, received a measly per diem. Shortly after this pay disparity news broke, Wahlberg donated his fee to Time鈥檚 Up聽in Michelle Williams鈥檚 name.
I bring all this up, in case you haven鈥檛 already heard it, because the back story and what it says about Hollywood is far more interesting than the movie itself. Ridley Scott and his screenwriter, David Scarpa, lay out a fairly straightforward kidnapping thriller and then attempt to expand it into a nightmare vision of capitalistic greed. The film鈥檚 ambitions far exceed its grasp.
There are some good performances, although Wahlberg, bespectacled and cerebral, is miscast in a role that doesn鈥檛 require much physicality. Williams is ardent throughout, and Romain Duris, as a hot-tempered kidnapper, is convincingly conflicted. Excellent, too, are Charlie Plummer as the kidnapped heir and Christopher Plummer (no relation) playing J. Paul Getty as an unrepentant Scrooge who refuses to pay the kidnappers the ransom that would spare his grandson鈥檚 life. At 88, Christopher is at the top of his game.聽He turns Getty into a dastardly miser with an aggrieved core. There hasn鈥檛 been such a lonely mogul in the movies since Orson Welles鈥檚 Charles Foster Kane expired with 鈥淩osebud鈥� on his lips. Grade:聽B- (Rated R for language, some violence, disturbing images, and brief drug content.)聽