Family Empire

It’s 1973 and America’s first billionaire- J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer)- must decide whether or not to cough up a king’s ransom for his teenage grandson who’s been kidnapped in Italy. That’s our story here- and it’s a good one- although the movie based on the book at times seems a bit too steeped in factual detail while at other times stumbles into Hollywood convention. Perhaps it’s the European locales that give All the Money in the World its European feel and for me that’s a good thing and nets the film some extra points. I love European thrillers.

Seeing how the super rich live and behave is always interesting to me especially when the billionaire in question had a daddy who didn’t love him. Mark Wahlberg seems miscast to me but otherwise good performances all around. The movie unfortunately loses points for placing in 1964 a Zombies song which was not recorded until 1967 (although I’m probably one of the few moviegoers who noticed). Prepare yourself for some post-viewing discussion about your definition of success and how having all the money in the world can jeopardize not only your soul but also the souls of your children. Grade: B+