Salomon is probably best known for the sex tape he made with then-girlfriend Paris Hilton in 2004, but hes a big-time poker player in his own right: He won $2.8 million at the 2014 World Series of Poker's Big One for One Drop event. "Ultimately, it got to $250,000," Molly Bloom said during an interview on Ellen. Harlan Eustice, a skilled, conservative, and successful player, joins Molly's game. Mollys Game is a testament to the benefit of close relationships between the screenwriter, source material, and subject. But because those anecdotes are still thoroughly interesting, lets go through all of the stories behind Mollys Gamestarting with Player Xs true identity, and then touching on the stuff that didnt make it into the movie. Molly ran two underground games that attracted some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Macaulay Culkin, Alex Rodriguez, Pete Sampras and others. The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Joker director Todd Phillips was a regular. How it plays out in the movie: Initially, Bloom didnt take a rakea percentage of the pot in handswhich made the questionable legality of running the poker games a little less questionable. Like in the movie, her boss fired her from his game, so she decided to utilize the contacts she made to start up a poker game of her own. Curtis estimates he won around $15 million during the games four years. In her book, Bloom only mentions the celebrities who had already been outed in the media prior to the book being published. The Alabama passer is one of the smallest QB prospects to be pegged as a first-round pick. At this time, she becomes increasingly addicted to drugs, as the games have taken their toll. I looked at him. Molly's Game'sCharlie Jaffey, played by Idris Elba, isan entirely fictionalperson. And an unpaid debt at a Las Vegas casino landed him in the LA County jail for a month. Curtis met Maguire at a 2004 poker game in Los Angeles. They didnt even know how to shuffle a deck of cards.. In the bookMolly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World, Bloom is careful about who she names, and who remains anonymous. [2] It was also the closing film at AFI Fest on November 16, 2017, replacing All the Money in the World. Molly declines this deal, fearing that the information about her players would be released, and she pleads guilty. In Mollys Game, it is called The Cobra Lounge, while the real-life poker games took place at The Viper Room, found on the Sunset Strip. Writer/director Aaron Sorkin even gives a nod to the Spider-Man actor at one point, with a line about "Player X" portraying a superhero. The film follows Bloom (Chastain), who becomes the target of an FBI investigation after the underground poker empire she runs for Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business tycoons, and the Russian mob is exposed. Although Molly's Game didn't bag any major awards, it did add to Aaron Sorkin's Oscar nominations. Aaron Sorkin, who is a skilled writer and known for adapting famous films such as To Kill A Mockingbird in 2018, wrote and directed Molly's Game. In an interview with Vice about the film, Bloom said: [Sorkin] didnt deviate from the truth. They offered her protection for a slice of her profits. [27], Molly's Game grossed $28.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $30.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $59.3 million. ""The feds first found out about it because a guy [hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman] in my LA game was running a Ponzi scheme. 7.0/10.0 for great acting and dialogue . My face was burning. That's how they found out about this game. Maguire and Curtis arranged things with club co-owner Darin Feinstein. But its funny: Rodriguez is never described as actually playing poker. Broken, beaten and abandoned, Curtis received a lifeline of $15,000 from Moonves and found a ride to Illinois, where he went to live with his mother. Rent 3.49. [DiCaprio] is a guy worth $80 million and he didnt want to put up the $5,000 buy-in. Whats wrong? I dont have all my money back, he said. With this in mind she moves to Los Angeles and becomes a cocktail waitress, and eventually assists Dean, a real estate developer . That is true, but Maguire, as portrayed in the book and on screen by Cera, is more than that: Hes a sinister figure who takes pleasure in, as he puts it in the film, destroying [the] lives of his fellow players, and eventually Bloom herself. My face was on fire. And then, the feds started secretly following me and listening to our conversations." Show more 2 hours, 9 minutes Last on Sun 27 Mar. Molly's Game (2017) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Aaron Sorkin . Dean Keith. Like the time film producer Rick Salomon infamous for starring in a sex tape with Paris Hilton grilled Affleck about Jennifer Lopez, the actors former fiance. In 2018, the movie was nominated in the 2018 Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay category. When Molly learns the ins and outs of illegal poker a little better, Dean ends up firing her because he essentially doesn't like the competition. -EllenIn 2011, the group of hedge fund investors who had been taken in Bradley Ruderman's Ponzi scheme ended up suing Tobey Maguire and other celebrities. To add insult to injury, Tobey then victoriously showed his bluff. When the Olsen twins showed up with a billionaire I was trying to land for a game, they were in, no questions asked. Did [her] ass have cellulite on it or was it nice? Salomon asked. Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) and somewhat reluctant lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) make their plea. . However, because the book was published between Mollys arrest and sentencing, it is unlikely Jaffey (or his equivalent) would have had time to do this in real life. He also glimpsed the stars petty side. Is he an amalgam of the poker players worst tendencies, wrapped up into one, smarmy character? According to DiCaprio, record producer Kasseem Daoud Dean, better known as Swizz Beatz, was 'constantly hanging around' Low, who gave Dean and his wife Alicia Keys art and cars. She didn't have much time for prep or research," Bloom told ET Canada's Matte Babel. Molly's Game. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. To learn more about her injury and time as a professional skier, read her book, Molly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World. -Ellen. Chris O'Dowd. He doesnt show up much in Mollys Game, but Bloom characterizes him as polite and charming, and not that interested in talking about Jennifer Lopezs butt. Keith is a foul-mouthed real estate agent whose principal source of income is in running illegal backroom, high-stakes poker games populated by celebrities, athletes and other assorted fat. I was essentially loaning them money, guaranteeing that money. Maguire quickly enlisted one of his best friends, Leonardo DiCaprio, as a lure. An Olympic-level skier whose plans for law school were derailed when she fell into the world of the exclusive poker games of Los Angeles, Bloom's life became prime movie material when she got. [25] It began a limited release in North America on December 25, 2017, before expanding wide on January 5, 2018. Not only does it deal with her career shift from a sportswoman to an underground poker empress, but it also dramatises the FBI investigation into her activities. Though Player X is a memorable character on the periphery of Mollys Game, the film is very much centered on Bloom as she weaves her way through the poker scene in Los Angeles and New York, before it eventually catches the attention of the FBI. "[17] On September 7, 2016, Michael Cera joined the cast as Player X, a celebrity poker player. Molly Bloom, a beautiful young Olympic-class skier, ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. [3] It ended up debuting to $6.9 million, finishing 7th at the box office. Interestingly, the fictional law firm Jaffey works for, Gage Whitney, has made several appearances in Sorkins work, including in The West Wing and Studio 60. High in the Clouds. Initially, she just served drinks and we gave her numbers to call the guys.. His protagonist, Molly Bloom, is as driven as the subjects in The Social Network or Steve Jobs. . Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Molly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World. Curtis alleges in the book that Maguire hated seeing Bloom taking home as much as $30,000 in tips per night. The Mollys Game endingbrings her and her father together, where he finally acts the part of supportive parent before her trial. She rents a hotel penthouse and hires a staff. Leo was tighter than a gnats ass.. Tobey was incredibly convincing, and so earnest that the guy eventually, although reluctantly, gave in. [5] The film earned Chastain a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress Drama,[6] while Sorkin earned nominations for his screenplay at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Writers Guild of America Awards, and BAFTA Awards.[7][8]. The movie changes the name of the club, though. The deal was impossible to overcome, said Curtis. We've received your submission. > Dean Keith Chris O'Dowd > Douglas Downey Jessica Chastain > Molly Bloom Natalie Krill > Winston Madison McKinley > Shelby Joe Keery > Trust Fund Cole The Molly's Game (2017 Film) Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Serving as the dealer was Maguires then-wife, Jen Meyer. He held a thousand-dollar chip in his hand. [10] Bloom had already approached Sorkin, as he was her "favorite writer". I had to write big checks for people that didn't pay. Yes, at least that's what she states in her book Molly's Game. Instead of attending law school immediately, Molly takes a year off and moves to LA. He roughed her up and threatened her family. Im sorry, he said, as if he had just realized that I was a real person with real feelings. Buy 9.99. [33], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 309 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. He owed $500,000 to Salomon and the same sum to a few other players. Her players included Hollywood royalty . "When I took in the personal inventory after the wreckage I had caused, the story itself seemed like the most monetizing asset so that I could be closer to paying these people back." Where Mollys Game depicts The Cobra Lounge with a flashy neon sign stereotypical of West Hollywood, The Viper Clubs current exterior is far more downplayed: a simple matte black. Rick was hot. The dream home was sold, he said. Rich men went home with their pockets light of cash but full of stories. Molly's Game, based on a true story, features an unnamed Hollywood actor known only as Player X, played by Michael Cera. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. If the story sounds familiar, thats because it inspired the 2018 movie Mollys Game, starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, the former Olympic-class skier who was the hostess of the operation and who later would be arrested on gambling-related charges tied to a game she ran in New York City. I had five years to live.. There were billionaires. The actor pressed guests to tip Meyer, a successful jewelry designer who is also the daughter of Ron Meyer, a former Hollywood power agent and now the vice-chairman of NBCUniversal. But, ask anyone who's read Molly Bloom's book, and they'll have a few ideas who Player X is based on in Molly's Game. Initially, the thought of watching another run-of-the-mill poker film felt very unappealing. Give Naatu Naatu Best Original Song. Outside of outliers like Rounders and Casino Royale, poker themed films generally result in a rather forgettable experience. She has worked as a freelance writer since 2017, writing articles, features, and profiles in a wide range of topics, from business and tech to pop culture and media. I looked back at him, praying my face wasnt as red as it felt. The table was stunned into silence before Affleck replied: It was nice.. On Tuesday nights from 2005 until 2009, bold-faced names including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes flocked to The Viper Room or Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel to play. However, like in the movie, Maguire really did call Molly to gleefully inform her she had lost the game. Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) makes his directorial debut with Molly's Game, which is based on the life of so-called "Poker Princess" Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a former Olympic skiing hopeful who turned to running high-stakes, celebrity-studded underground poker games in Los Angeles and New York after an unfortunate wipeout on the slopes . He had a strange style at the table, though; it was almost as if he wasnt trying to win or lose. . The stakes were so high, Curtis told The Post, that winning $20,000 felt like losing.. Her mother's sacrifice helped inspire her to write the book. Plus, does starting Tyrese Maxey versus DeAnthony Melton make a difference on the defensive end? Mal, Jo, and Ben get together to talk about where the Mandalorian people are, what adventure awaits Din and Grogu, and much more. Starring: Jessica Chastain,Idris Elba,Kevin Costner Watch all you want. Molly Bloom (born April 21, 1978) is an American entrepreneur, speaker, [1] and author of the 2014 memoir Molly's Game. No poker player can beat that juice, but Houston said he agreed. Here's who he really is. Dean Stinchcombe. As Chastains Bloom points out, this is usury. And as A-Rod took in the glamorous, well-appointed poker game I was running, a game that happened to have millions of dollars in chips on the table, the posturing started Alex Rodriguez was watching it all, and having a great time. While Molly did hire lawyers, Jaffey is an agglomeration, Sorkins way of integrating his point of view into the movie. It stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Joe Keery, Brian D'Arcy James, and Bill Camp . "I had left a huge mess of my life," says Molly. Em vez de seguir seu plano original de frequentar a faculdade de . She was to be contacted about setting up a meeting but it never happened. Is Golden State a sleeping giant? Her poker customers came to include men from the Russian mob. Bloom made her money on the tips she got from players, which, as the games buy-ins increased, grew larger and larger. Ill try to talk to him for you, he said awkwardly. But whats the legacy of the blockbuster album? Dean Keith is a real estate developer who introduces Molly Bloom to the world of underground poker. Molly's Game - watch online: streaming, buy or rent Molly's Game is a 2017 film that tells the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target. When Maguire invited Curtis to the actors Hollywood Hills home for a game in which players included lawyer Jon Moonves and billionaire scion Kevin Washington Curtis played it straight and was careful not to win too much. He also relied heavily on her memoir of the same name (pictured below). She eventually moved up from assistant to game-runner, making as much as $4 million a year while servicingMolly's Game's Player X and other high rollers. Selena Gomez and Hailey Biebers Drama, Jake Pauls Boxing Match, and George of the Jungle, The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 Deep Dive, The Biggest Questions About the Seasons Stretch Run, KDs Suns Debut, Load Management, and Five-Year Anniversary of the Rockets-Clippers Tunnel Debacle. Molly had nothing to do with anything, Curtis said. (Independently, Bloom was sentenced to a years probation, a $200,000 fine and 200 hours of community service for gambling-related infractions in NYC.). MOLLY'S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of. [23] Production concluded on February 9, 2017. It was nice, he said, and pushed into a huge pot. You wont bark for a thousand dollars? They beat him for like $2 million [in Hawaii] and he flew them back on his jet.. But, Curtis writes, neither the movie nor Blooms own memoir tells the true story of the LA game. In the book Molly's Game, it's never a secret that this nefarious gambler is none other than Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire. No. Her other brother is a surgeon who graduated from Harvard Medical School. He lost around $50,000 to me and didnt have any money [on him], Curtis recalled. He works at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Graduate Research Assistant since August 2020. Molly moves to NYC to begin a new underground poker game. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, 'Babylon' review: Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie dazzle in this familiar showbiz tale, Comic book insider reveals John Malkovich as villain in canceled 'Spider-Man 4', Spider-Man fans respond to homophobic line cut from classic film, Andrew Garfield got stoned to Tobey Maguire: 'He's my Spider-Man'. The truth is, Player X is less of a collection of stories relating to different celebrities, and more of a stand-in for one star in specific. [20] On November 9, 2016, Chris O'Dowd, Jeremy Strong, Bill Camp, and Graham Greene joined the cast as well. Kevin Washington chewed tobacco and spit into a cup; Tobey hated that, said Curtis. Player X in Mollys Gameis quite clearly meant to represent Tobey Maguire, who Molly names in her book. Celebrities were brought in to add glamour and, occasionally, serve as collateral damage. Not only was he devastatingly handsome, he was incredibly talented. Here are some of Blooms stories about Maguire that made it into Sorkins big-screen adaptation. MOLLY'S GAME is the true story of Molly Bloom a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. 2017 141 min NR (Not Rated) Drama, Biography Feature Film. The movie even nods at this association by stating Player X had once portrayed a superhero; Maguire famously played Spiderman in the mid-2000s trilogy. . What's the most that Molly Bloom saw someone lose in a single night? Previously, she has also worked as a ghost writer for a fiction manuscript, and co-founded arts-and-literature magazine, Octarine. In her book, Bloom only refers by name to the people who the media had already outed, protecting the identity of her players who remained anonymous. I laughed again, stalling, hoping he would play the joke out by himself and leave. "I was on the U.S. If what Houston told me was true, Tobey owned Houston now, and they must have both known it. After a serious injury ruined her chances of skiing at the Olympics, Molly Blooms life changed direction. In the film, Player X is bothered by Bloom earning more and more money from the tips, saying he wants to cap itas he puts it, Your money is my money. Bloom is, obviously, insulted by this. And, since Tobey was a vegan, it really bothered him when people ordered pepperoni pizzas. MOLLY'S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Effinger previously worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Colorado Denver. There was a tiny nagging voice in the back of my head that was telling me that Tobey being unhappy spelled trouble for me, but I tried to stay focused. Maguire agreed to loan him $600,000. Reading the book and watching the movie, its pretty easy to determine that Player X is actually the OG Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire. When she isn't busy reading everything ever published under the mantle of Image Comics, you might find her writing fiction, rock climbing, or putting together a horror anthology with friends. Although Bloom kept the identities of many of her regulars a. [28] In its first full weekend, the film grossed $2.3 million, finishing 13th at the box office. -Ellen. The rest of Molly's Game never lives up to the promise of its first scene. He bought a dream house for his mother, a musical-instrument store for his dad and a dojo for his old karate teacher. She moved to Los Angeles in 2001, intending to take a year off before going to law school. If the story sounds familiar, that's because it inspired the 2018 movie "Molly's Game," starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, the former Olympic-class skier who was the hostess of the. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. He admits he was overbearing and that he treated Molly differently than her brothers because she had known about his affairs. . Mollys Game explores the world of underground poker, following the true story of Molly Bloom, as she transforms from Olympic-level skier to hostess of the most exclusive poker club in the world, to FBI target. An avid reader and fan of writing, she leverages her love of literature to dissect movies in her favorite genres, including horror, rom-coms, and superhero movies. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Tobey was powerful and tactical. In researching how accurate Molly's Game is, we discovered that as the game began to get out of control, so did Molly's life. It's for men only, and we see how men like Molly's boss Dean Keith ( Jeremy Strong ), Player X (Cera), Douglas Downey ( Chris O'Dowd ), Bad Brad ( Brian d'Arcy James ), Harlan Eustice (. Then he suffered the biggest loss of his gambling career: $1 million in a single, terrible night at The Four Seasons. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Molly's Game is a 2017 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (in his directorial debut), based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Molly Bloom. How it plays out in the movie: Sorkins film introduces Harlan Eustice (played by Bill Camp), one of the few players at the game with a finite amount of income. Thank you, I sniffled, wanting to believe him. Apart fromthe way almost allof Aaron Sorkin's movies andTV shows are either directly based on true stories or loosely adapted from the experiences of real people, Sorkin is also known for his trademark use of perfectly-written quickfire dialogue, as popularized by TheWest Wing's "walk-and-talk" scenes. According to the true story, another actor took control of the weekly game, and Bloom writes that Maguire was the one who called her and giddily informed her that she had lost the game, as "Player X" does in the movie. I didnt like this. Like in real life, barring some name changes, Dean Keith (The Big Short'sJeremy Strong) met Molly while she was waitressing and offered her a gig as his assistant at his night club.
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