All the Money in the World
09/01/18 Filed in: Cinema
After the true story of Molly's Game we followed that with another film based on actual events, the story of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in 1973. I remember the news of this event at the time, but it was extremely interesting to learn the story of what was going on behind the scenes during this traumatic event.
We start with the 16-year-old Getty strolling around the streets of Rome, self assured and boldly telling the local street girls that he can look after himself. A boast soon shown to be no more than bravado as he is bundled into a van by kidnappers. We also have a narrative that tells us, that while the Gettys may look like us, they are not, and this is offered as an early explanation as to why what we are about to see shouldn't be regarded in the context of what 'normal' people would do.
This film is of course marked out by the fact that many scenes had to be reshot when Kevin Spacey was removed from the cast and replaced by Christopher Plummer. I must say, however, that Plummer for me had much more the look of the ageing Getty than Spacey, and I think the film has probably benefitted from the change. It's also remarkable that the editing was completed in such a short space of time.
Getty Senior is portrayed as a man whose only interest is money, or to be precise the art and property that money can buy. It is placed above the welfare of his kidnapped 'favourite' grandson. His son, who at the beginning of the film is shown in a seemingly happy and uncomplicated relationship, falls victim to the dark side of life when he takes a job offered by his father in Italy, resulting in divorce from his wife, Abigail (Gail), played by Michelle Williams. Gail takes no money from the divorce, asking only for her children, a move that makes Getty uncomfortable as he doesn't believe that there is anybody who isn't out to take some of his money.
When Gail's son is kidnapped she has no significant money or assets to pay the criminals, and soon discovers that her father-in-law is not going to pay up either. His only concession is to put Fletcher Chase on the case, his security adviser and ex CIA agent, who's played by Mark Wahlberg. The story from this point is really that of the frustration and pain felt by Gail as she is faced with an intransigent old man while her son remains captured and threatened. One of the kidnappers, Cinquanta, takes a bit of a liking to Getty junior, and even stands back when the youngster makes an unsuccessful break for it. But the police are making progress and have identified the kidnappers, only to find that the young Getty has gone when they raid their camp.
At this point things have become a lot worse for the young Getty, the new kidnappers being associated with the Mafia, although they have retained Cinquanta, who brought the boy to them and thus missed the raid on his camp. The Mafia has far fewer scruples than the original opportunists from the southern Italian region of Calabria, and after threats, they begin to mutilate the boy, first sending his ear to a daily newspaper. At this point Getty senior agrees to negotiate a deal, but restricts the maximum amount he will pay to that which he can make tax deductible, proving to the end that money was still his prime concern.
This is quite an amazing story, from the beginning when we see Getty effectively secure the first oil rights in the Middle East, which was what led to his ultimate fortune; to the fascination with ancient Rome, upon whose Emperors he wished to model himself; and the love of material things over people. A truly frightening picture of what wealth can do to somebody. The film is worth seeing for that alone, besides which it is a very well made dramatisation of the events that took place.
When Gail's son is kidnapped she has no significant money or assets to pay the criminals, and soon discovers that her father-in-law is not going to pay up either. His only concession is to put Fletcher Chase on the case, his security adviser and ex CIA agent, who's played by Mark Wahlberg. The story from this point is really that of the frustration and pain felt by Gail as she is faced with an intransigent old man while her son remains captured and threatened. One of the kidnappers, Cinquanta, takes a bit of a liking to Getty junior, and even stands back when the youngster makes an unsuccessful break for it. But the police are making progress and have identified the kidnappers, only to find that the young Getty has gone when they raid their camp.
At this point things have become a lot worse for the young Getty, the new kidnappers being associated with the Mafia, although they have retained Cinquanta, who brought the boy to them and thus missed the raid on his camp. The Mafia has far fewer scruples than the original opportunists from the southern Italian region of Calabria, and after threats, they begin to mutilate the boy, first sending his ear to a daily newspaper. At this point Getty senior agrees to negotiate a deal, but restricts the maximum amount he will pay to that which he can make tax deductible, proving to the end that money was still his prime concern.
This is quite an amazing story, from the beginning when we see Getty effectively secure the first oil rights in the Middle East, which was what led to his ultimate fortune; to the fascination with ancient Rome, upon whose Emperors he wished to model himself; and the love of material things over people. A truly frightening picture of what wealth can do to somebody. The film is worth seeing for that alone, besides which it is a very well made dramatisation of the events that took place.