All the Money in the World: Gripping, intense, and wholly captivating – possibly Ridley Scott’s best work to date

The story of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is possibly director Ridley Scott’s best work to date. Gripping, intense, and wholly captivating, All the Money in the World is an edge-of-your-seat thriller to rival the best.

At the heart of the drama within Scott’s latest film resides an impeccable cast who pour heaps of emotion and depth into their characters. Michelle Williams as the kidnapped boy’s mother, Gail Harris, is stunning to watch; viewers accompany her on her ordeal and she ensures every emotional blow is felt to its fullest. Alongside Williams, Mark Wahlberg as negotiator Fletcher Chase and Romain Duris as kidnapper Cinquanta, too, provide powerful performances in their respective roles by offering an insight into their character’s motivations (especially Duris) which greatly enhances the narrative depth. Furthermore, Christopher Plummer must be applauded for his portrayal of billionaire Paul Getty who, after being brought on to replace Kevin Spacey, does a magnificent job insofar that it’s confounding why he wasn’t the original choice.

Scott paces his film in such a way that it grabs and holds our attention whilst it gradually builds to an exhilarating third act with many genuinely unexpected twists along the way. However, there is a slight lull in the pacing towards the beginning of the second act which is quickly recovered from. Whilst the majority of the plot’s drama comes from well-written dialogue and character conflict, Scott pulls no punches when required with one particular sequence being stomach-churning in the best way possible.

As well as being a gripping thriller, All the Money is also a visual treat that demonstrates Scott still has expert visual flare and the know-how to utilise lighting and framing to speak volumes over the dialogue. From the panning vistas of rural Italy to cold stately homes, the Blade Runner director captures both the beauty of these settings along with the callous taint of wealth (and the pursuit of it) that erodes them too. All the Money in the World manages to be a gripping thriller, a family drama, and a study of the pursuit of wealth with each component just as strong as the last. It is Scott at his finest yet and should be seen to be believed.

Andrew Murray

All the Money in the World is released nationwide on 5^th January 2018.

Watch the trailer for All the Money in the World here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zKtvOMKd50