Plummer and Scott end up pulling it off.
Without ever meaning to, All the Money in the World has ended up being one of the most reported about movies of the year. When word of the scandal involving initial star Kevin Spacey hit the news back in October, the film’s future seemed bleak as many believed the studio would abandon the project by releasing it, but pretending it didn’t exist. Instead, maverick director Ridley Scott persevered and reshot all of Spacey’s scenes with the legendary Christopher Plummer a mere weeks before the film was to be released. So how did it turn out? Are the changes noticeable? Well, a little. There are a couple of scenes early on which bear a distinct cut-and-paste feel; understandably so. Eventually though, Scott’s prowess as a filmmaker shows itself, ridding the film of any such feelings and allowing the audience to focus on the story. Whether or not that’s a good thing however is up in the air.
Inspired by the true story, All the Money in the World tells the story of 17-year-old Paul Getty (Charlie Plummer), whose kidnapping in Italy in 1971 captured wide media attention when his grandfather wealthy tycoon J. Paul Getty (Plummer) declared he would not pay the $17 million demanded ransom. The film follows Paul’s mother Gail Getty (Michelle Williams) and Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), J. Paul’s right hand man, as they try to find the young Paul before it’s too late.
Although its trailers would have you think otherwise, the heart and soul of Scott’s film is the story about the power of the familial bond, specifically a mother’s love for her son. From the time we get to know her, Gail is shown to be a loving and devoted mother for her children; a fact the movie solidifies in a scene early on when during divorce proceedings she surrenders alimony in exchange for full custody of her three kids. When Paul is kidnapped, Gail’s reaction is one of steadfast resolve as she goes to any means necessary to make her former father-in law pay his grandson’s ransom. While films so often give such character duties to father figures, All the Money in the World does right by assigning them to the mother of its story. In the process, the audience gets a sterling example of the kind of will and determination which lies within every mother. Whether she’s making trip after trip to London to bargain with J. Paul or reluctantly working with Fletcher to track down any lead she can, Gail shows how hard a mother will fight in an effort to keep her son alive.
All the Money in the World does make a decent attempt at exploring the concept of extreme wealth and greed as such elements permeate throughout the film. The audience is told repeatedly about J. Paul Getty’s massive fortune, his penchant for priceless works of art and the joy he took in withholding money from those closest to him. Scott’s film makes the case that J. Paul’s greed and callousness towards his loved ones stemmed from a deeply rooted insecurity and uncertainty which seemed to grow stronger the richer he got. It seems that the more money he acquired, the more vulnerable he became and the less he trusted those around him as a result. All the Money in the World argues that J. Paul’s money eventually separated him from the rest of the world, closing him off and leaving him stranded in the recesses of his mind where no amount of money would ever make him feel at peace. While J. Paul was a man with an endless amount of financial security, none of it was ever enough to buy contentment, which in turn placed him in his own special kind of hell.
Ostensibly too young for her role, Williams struggles at first to gain credibility as her character, particularly where her North Atlantic accent is concerned. However once she nestles into the part of Gail, the actress instantly becomes the most compelling facet of the film. The same can’t be said for her male lead. Never has Mark Wahlberg proven so inconsequential to a movie bearing his name. His character is so thinly written, giving him incredibly little to do, that when Fletcher finally does have a moment he can call his own, the result is bittersweet. As the kidnapped victim, Plummer soars as young Paul, giving him a cunning and a vulnerability that elevates his character. He works well opposite Romain Duris, who adds definite dimension as the only one of Paul’s captors to view him as something other than a huge payday.
All eyes will be on the elder Plummer though and his 12th hour casting. It’s a pleasure to report that the actor delivers in spades. While the limited footage seen of Spacey in the movie’s initial trailer suggested he would have just opted for playing old and crotchety along the lines of Kabuki theater, Plummer’s turn delivers a kind of devilish panache and subtle intensity that brings out the darkness and delight of the man’s slightly sadistic nature. In Plummer’s hands, J. Paul isn’t the outright villain Spacey’s interpretation could so easily have been, but rather a true complex figure wrestling with the kinds of demons no amount of money could fix.
All the Money in the World aims to be the kind of big-scale epic release that used to be a mainstay during the holidays. While such a film still functions as part of the landscape during this time of year as evidenced by the likes of The Post, All the Money in the World isn’t one of those titles. The film isn’t bad. It’s just not as good as it thinks it is. The more it tries to load on the style and dramatic flair, the more it plateaus in terms of heft and overall effect. In truth, the project probably would have worked better as an HBO miniseries thanks to its plentiful story; or even as a surprise August release. As an awards-hungry December feature that’s trying to be both populist and serious however, the film follows the likes of The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Godfather Part III and The Good German in the grand tradition of over-estimating its potential, audience and overall importance.
