Thursday, January 4, 2018

Movie Review: All the Money in the World

All the Money in the World is about the kidnapping of J.P. Getty's grandson, Paulo, during the 1970s in Rome.  J.P. Getty was at one point the richest man in the world who accumulated the most money of all time.  Christopher Plummer plays the character.  Supposedly, Kevin Spacey was supposed to film, but his reputation made the director change actors.

At the beginning of the movie, the audience learns that John Paul Getty made his money from building and oil.  His son, an alcoholic drug addict, has three children with a regular woman (played by Michelle Williams) and then divorce.  He is pretty much out of the picture, and the mother has sole custody.  What the kidnappers do not realize is that she is broke.  John Paul Getty refuses to give her a dime unless she gives up custody.  She refuses.  
The only hope of paying off the kidnappers is through the grandfather, J.P. Getty.  One problem-he doesn't want to pay.  The man is shown buying million dollar artwork like candy throughout the movie, but refuses to pay ransom for his grandson.  He finally negotiates the ransom down to 2.8 million (a deductible amount for income tax) once the kidnappers show violence.  The mother gets her son back, but he has been tortured and will probably never be the same.  Ironically, Getty dies and the mother gets control of the fortune until her children become of age.

My Review: I love this movie!  Great acting, display of wealth, and suspense.  Getty was a real son-of-a-bitch.  One could understand why his son turned to drugs and alcohol.  Director Ridley Scott makes the story even more interesting.  Besides this new masterpiece, some of his other work include Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, and American Gangster.  He has a real Hitchcockian style throughout the movie.  This is the best flick I've seen in 2017, and I hope it wins Best Movie this year at the Oscars.  5/5 Stars


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