Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher
Plummer, Charlie Plummer, Stacy Martin, Timothy Hutton, Romain Duris
![ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD poster](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLV3kZDNvi08h8bVAZWaqVWWKG2uPfzrXu-JrctfZpm5qk0etXJimL6BsPs1EvcuVQbV8nJTsZIZWWwF5rqddqLF3drNzSXn0Lr0ig0XJyegNCeg4NJxbN_aGHi0hoaQCRVS34pSqfEXs/s16000/all+the+money+in+the+world.jpg)
On July 10th, 1973, John Paul Getty III, the 16-year-old grandson of billionaire J Paul Getty, was abducted from a Roman Piazza. Assuming his grandfather - at that point not only the richest man in the world, but the richest man that ever lived - would pay without blinking, the boy's kidnappers set a ransom of $17 million. You don't get to be the wealthiest man in human history without keeping a tight hold on your purse strings however, and thanks to Getty's continued refusal to pay, the kidnapping drama would drag on for months.
Using John Pearson's 1995 book 'Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty' as a base, Ridley Scott has fashioned the Getty kidnapping into an old school thriller, one which resembles some lost '70s movie, full of men with sideburns arguing in dimly lit rooms. Personally, I can't get enough of this stuff.
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What the kidnappers don't realise is that Getty III is now estranged from his grandfather (Christopher Plummer - no relation), who practically disowned his grandson when his daughter in law, Gail Harris (Michelle Williams), took custody of him following her divorce to Getty's drug-addled son. With no money of her own, Harris is forced to beg her estranged father-in-law to come to his grandson's aid. Rather than paying up (Getty is such a skinflint he installed a payphone for guests at his English country mansion), Getty assigns his advisor, former CIA agent Fletcher Case (Mark Wahlberg), to track down the kidnappers.
![All the Money in the World review](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Z_qPXlChP6BBrwOufKxsF9aSBtccqpt-h-J-gGA8pguqffWkpNQ0NbPJbPm7jg0mTB1WrSBoCE4DoSEVC15vGfwUswZCqCPIjaTAf5hSuu2fnX77gMfd_qbuNiN6OQcdxfqnZCdSTk7_4LcyXk512Dw4_lNkODtmnFpMTgyKkKMW1AgINfhGJ25kZA/s16000/all%20the%20money%20in%20the%20world%20b.jpg)
Taking a backseat to the drama is what Scott does best, but he's rarely been so generous in letting his cast take centre stage. His ensemble here is certainly a mixed bunch, boasting arguably the best American actress of her generation in Williams (captivating despite an unconvincing accent); a screen and stage legend who could make the text of a universal remote control manual sound Shakespearian in Plummer; a former underwear model with a checkered acting resume in Wahlberg; one of European cinema's most charismatic stars in Duris; and a host of talented supporting performers, including the overdue return of Timothy Hutton. All pool their varying talents to make All the Money in the World an engrossing watch.
![All the Money in the World review](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pCi9PP3k-t19R8RY6_01YlblHMBj-vhtd2EoPRoV9TSe7-zR-BpeG7wzTg5EzYB5dAiBc_hoXQa6rAcL7QJKkqFfY1BU4JfRvl93rUmsWZ0DRXZ_obyLZcqMnyz0UqNZCjE8opCvBvnv66eHWhmxACTbHk2kAM5fRjLn8XzQNJvZTmObqajeuXFn0w/s16000/all%20the%20money%20in%20the%20world%20a.jpg)
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All the Money in the World is on
Prime Video UK now.