A review of the new film “All The Money In The World”
This is an oddity of a film for at least three reasons.
First, it tells an incredible story – except that it is true – of how the world’s richest man J Paul Getty refused to pay the ransom after his 16 year old grandson was kidnapped by the ‘Ndrangheta in Italy in 1973. Second, surprisingly it is directed by Ridley Scott who has previously been acclaimed for his science fiction movies (such as “Alien” and “Blade Runner”) and history blockbusters (like “Gladiator” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings”). Third, the work had to be substantially reshot when sexual harrassment allegations against Kevin Spacey led to his replacement by Christopher Plummer as the aged plutocrat.
It has to be said that the reshooting was seemless and 88 year old Plummer – much more age-appropriate anyway than Spacey – gives an excellent performance. Mark Wahlberg is assured as ever in the role of intermediary between Getty and the criminal gang. French actor Romain Duris is convincing as one of the kidnappers who goes by the name Cinquanta. But it is Michelle Williams as the kidnapped son’s mother who gives the most powerful and nuanced exposition of a cocktail of emotions.
Kidnapping is a particularly terrible crime and, as it happens, at the time I saw this film I was reading a novel about a fictional child kidnapping (“The Couple Next Door” by Shari Lapena) and great wealth is a mixed blessing (not that I have any personal experience of this) and Scott tells a compelling, if downbeat, story.