All the Money in the World
Director: Ridley Scott
Year Released: 2017
Rating: 1.5
Scuzzy, lazy Italians (embodied by Romain Duris, who's French) kidnap John Getty (Charlie Plummer), the "beloved" grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), and demand a multi-million dollar ransom ... he refuses to pay, so the boy's mother (Michelle Williams) and Getty's "fixer" (Mark Wahlberg) do what they can to keep the kid alive. The title gives away ... well, everything: who'd have figured that super-capitalists care little about other humans, clinging only to their own wealth and prosperity (Getty, stereotypically, dwells on stock tickers and perishes clutching an expensive painting) - it then becomes a tiresome back-and-forth between Duris and Williams, while Plummer is tortured over the almighty lira. Scott's direction only becomes semi-involving when there's an action scene or a chase, otherwise he just sits back and admires Plummer's grumbling (he took over for Kevin Spacey, who can't keep his hands away from crotches) ... and if someone can tell me what accent Williams is trying for I'd love to know. Getty may have been a stubborn coot, but his museum in Los Angeles is a must-visit (be sure to check out the Maillols!), especially if you, too, prefer things over people.
