I’ve always wondered what I would be like if I had to have a lot of money. After watching “All the money in the world” I’m afraid. As proven by Jean Paul Getty, even being the richest man around and having all the money, it’s not enough, it will never be enough and you will always want more.
The movie follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer), which at first is deemed as a joke or a way to extort money from his rich but frugal grandfather Jean Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) but later turned out to be real. The desperate attempts by his devoted mother Gail stunningly portrayed by Michelle Williams, to convince him to pay the ransom tug on your heart strings and make you despise Jean. When we first meet the family, they seem so happy. As Gail points out to her husband John, played by Andrew Buchan, “we’re not poor, just broke”. They decide to reach out to his estranged father as John struggles to find employment. They’re summoned to come and meet him and John gets offered a high profile position in the company so all their problems are over, right? Wrong as John’s love for alcohol end up destroying their family and leads to a divorce, in which his father fights to keep his grandchildren in his custody but Gail wins in the end. Jean Paul Getty and John Paul Getty III had a very special relationship as he grew up until the divorce and his mom was awarded custody.
We also learn how Jean made his money and throughout the movie you find out why he worked so hard to acquire his wealth i.e. his father told him he won't amount to anything and he proved him wrong by "making him look like a pauper". Jean sees himself as the emperor of Rome reincarnated as he relayed to John III earlier on in the movie. One thing that got to me and shouldn’t be surprising as Jean Getty proved that he won’t spend money unless necessary and will negotiate a lower price even though he can afford anything even with a markup, is when he asked his grandson John to read letters to him that people had send. A lady asked for money for her husband’s operation and he instructs him to respond, “If I gave money to everyone that asked for it, I would be as destitute as you are.” I don’t totally disagree with that statement though, I have to admit as there’s a lot of truth to it.
When Getty Sr. refuses to pay the ransom, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.
Cast includes Michelle Wiiliams, Christoper Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Charlie Plummer, Charlie Shotwell, Romain Duris amongst others. It is directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa, based on John Pearson's 1995 book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty.
ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD
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