All the Money in the World (2017)

I have to admit that I am not as familiar with Ridley Scott’s filmography as much as I should. I have seen only a handful of his movies, but there has always been an element of risk involved with them. Blade Runner and Alien changed science fiction films forever, while some of his more recent works have seen the revitalization of dead genres like what Gladiator did for Rome-era epics.

In his most recent film, the now 80-year-old Scott took a risk of a different kind. All the Money in the World originally starred Kevin Spacey as J. Paul Getty, but after his sexual assault allegations Scott opted to reshoot all of Spacey’s scenes with only a month left until release with his supposed original first choice for the role, Christopher Plummer. They re-edited as they reshot, getting all of Plummer’s scenes filmed in a little over a week.

Why am I telling you all of this? It’s for one reason, and only one: there’s little to no evidence of the film’s hectic reshoots in the final product. I am amazed that All the Money in the World is as coherent and high-quality as it is, and yet I don’t feel like I am giving the film a pass or grading it on the curve for it. Ridley Scott has made a taut, slow-burning thriller with some impeccable performances – and that’s true with or without its rushed production.

Those performances are what largely carry All the Money in the World. Christopher Plummer is excellent as the elder Getty, demanding attention in every one of his scenes. He makes me hate Getty at times and feel just plain disgusted at how he lived his life, which propelled a lot of my feelings for the other characters as well. Michelle Williams is also fantastic as Getty’s daughter-in-law and the mother of the kidnapped Paul, providing a good balance between making me feel sympathy for her character and showing me her strength and resilience in confronting the elder Getty’s empire. Mark Wahlberg also gives a good, but not great, performance as one of Getty’s most trusted advisors.

It seems that everyone in this film is at or near the top of their game, making me think that Scott’s direction is what deserves the credit for this film’s high quality. His pacing and editing make this film such a tightly wound rope that doesn’t show any signs of its tension until its explosive climax, a true wonder to behold. There’s some great cinematography in here as well that serves the film’s tone quite well. At times, the story can seem more focused on Getty rather than Paul’s kidnapping, making the film lose a bit of its focus; however, it never gets tedious or boring during these segments.

Overall, All the Money in the World is quite an excellent film, whether or not you give it a pass for its hasty end to production. The performances from Plummer and Michelle Williams are stellar, and Ridley Scott’s work behind the camera makes this film feel like its slightly better than the sum of its parts, even considering the story’s occasional lack of focus. It is proof that Scott will continue to take risks to make his films as good as they can possibly be until the day he dies.

My recommendation: See it if you’re intrigued by the story or if you love great acting.

My grade: 83/100