Molly's Game follows the the journey of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-level skiier after she has a career ending injury during Olympic qualifications. Molly is incredibly intelligent and capable of anything in her life, but after her accident she wants an escape from the day to day grind she's become accustomed to all of her life. With this in mind she moves to Los Angeles and becomes a cocktail waitress, and eventually assists Dean, a real estate developer in hosting an exclusive underground poker game with celebrities. This is the beginning of Molly's story.
The end of the film sees her an her father reconcile as he gives her "three years of therapy in three minutes." He admits he's treated her differently than her siblings because he knows she knew about his affairs, and he explains to her that she does what she's doing in order to have power over powerful men. This is something she didn't have over her dad who lorded his power over her. He also admits his powerlessness in protecting his daughter who was beaten up. Molly gets off of her accused crimes and returns to her life.
In between all of this we see a compressed amount of Molly's life spinning out of control. Elements that effect it are the individuals in her circle. And these are everyday folks, these are famous celebrities and the rich who do as they please with their money even to a degree that people become pawns in the sick games they create. Molly becomes one of these pawns, and when violence is introduced it isn't the gamblers who've been tipping her day in an out that come to her rescue. It's someone who believes in the law, Charlie, and someone who is able to cut through the lies and get to the truth, her father (a psychiatrist).
A most telling moment in the film that hits on a thematic cord of the film is when Molly's dad offers her a drink. She denies it because she's an alcoholic. Ironically it's hot chocolate and he asks her where she thinks she is, 'a bar?'. Molly's inability to distinguish between who is hurting her and who is helping her has blurred, and this is where she has landed in her journey. And the people we trust, are they ones who have our best interests at heart, like her dad (who yes has hurt her), or the players, like Player X? X shows us his motives clearly when he tells another player he's got him beat and to fold. He swears on his mother's life, and the man folds. Player X shows him he lied to him and, with a "f*ck you," jabs his knife in further. This film shows that life is hard. What makes it hard are the people in our lives we choose to trust and associate with, especially when our livelihood and/or dreams are tied in with these people.
