The replacement of Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer long after principal photography on "All the Money in the World" had finished is the best thing that could have happened to the holiday release. Not only did it give Plummer a chance to turn in a riveting performance as J. Paul Getty (a man who makes Ebenezer Scrooge look like a philanthropist) but it also serves as a needed distraction from the mediocrity of the overall storytelling.
"All the Money in the World" was inspired by the true story of the kidnapping of Getty's grandson, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer), in 1973. The initial demand for $17 million in ransom money is ignored by Getty _ who at the time is the richest man in the world _ because he's certain paying would just trigger the kidnapping of his other grandchildren. The only response from Getty is to send his chief of security, Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), to work with his daughter-in-law, Gail (Michelle Williams) to deal with the kidnapping.
This leads to a series of negotiations to save the young Getty that's told by director Ridley Scott in a manner that is reminiscent of countless other hostage stories. There is a plodding nature to the story as the action goes from kidnappers to cops that kills any suspense or drama.
The only time "All the Money in the World" shows any signs of life is when Plummer is on the screen. He plays Getty with a cold obsession for money that makes him both a character to hate and to pity. Even when faced with the possibility his grandson will be returned in bits and pieces, Getty shows more interest in buying another masterpiece for his vast collection of art than saving the young boy.
Spacey (whose work was edited out after sexual harassment allegations surfaced) has shown he can play very cold characters, but those roles tend to come with a touch of smugness. That's an element that quickly can make the audience lose any sympathy for the character. Plummer never shows such a side and that's why his performance is compelling even when he's showing his darkest side.
And, Plummer also reveals a tiny glimpse of a softer side to Getty in scenes when he's with his grandson as a young child. It's an odd scene in that it's as if Getty wants to reach out emotionally, but continues to mask his feelings behind the mask that he uses to protect himself from a world where he's convinced everyone wants his money.
Considering Plummer does such a masterful job only weeks before the movie opened is even more of a testament to his brilliant acting skills. He's already earned a Golden Globe nomination and should be on the list when the Oscar nods are revealed.
Even a great actor like Plummer can't fully distract from the biggest issues dogging the film. "All the Money in the World" has the same problems as other movies _ like "Dunkirk" _ that are based on a true story. There is so much of the history that gets changed for dramatic results that the real story becomes only a figment of the final version. There's really not enough universal memory of the real Getty kidnapping in the world, so it would have been smarter to have made this a fully fictional story.
But, the film sticks with the "inspired by" direction, and that often means big changes from the original tale. In this case, one of the more major shifts is taking Getty's son (Andrew Buchan) out of the picture and telling the story through the mother's eyes. This would have been OK, but Williams struggles so much to maintain the accent she's opted to use that she keeps disrupting the flow of the film.
At least she doesn't get overpowered by Wahlberg, who brings a sense of hibernation to his performance. It's never clear whether he's a master negotiator or a spy, but either way Wahlberg's performance is flat. David Scarpa's script (based on the book by John Pearson) makes all of the members of the Getty family emotionally frigid. It would have been nice if someone would have been willing to show at least a drop of emotions, but Wahlberg isn't the answer.
The overall flow of the production was weak without Williams and Wahlberg because of the too-familiar kidnapping story. There's an attempt to put some life into the events by having the young Getty bond with one of his captors. There's so little to explain why these two men would connect that it comes across as nothing more than a gimmick.
"All the Money in the World" is promoted as the most talked about film of the holiday season. Sadly, that attention has all been about the replacement of Spacey by Plummer. Now that the movie is being released, the talk still will be about Plummer, because the rest of the movie is a mundane kidnapping story that all the money in the world couldn't fix.
