Molly’s Game is a crime drama movie which shows gender roles and sexism, and is based on a memoir book. The main character used to work for a guy who was mean and controlling so she decided to start hosting her own poker games with the men she met while hosting them for him. She became very successful and lived a glamorous life until high clients weren’t able to pay up the money they were gambling and everything started falling apart until the FBI stormed her place in the middle of the night.
Molly was always putting up with rich men making inappropriate comments towards her and not taking her seriously because she was a woman even though she ran the world’s most exclusive game to join. The men took advantage of her by buying in too much even when they knew they couldn’t pay it, and I think if it were a man they would not disrespect him or screw him over as much. She was a kind woman who got pushed around by the power and success of these men who were used to getting everything they wanted. The sexism here was obvious and anybody watching would know the male dominance was rooted in all of them ganging up unknowingly to make her feel less than her worth.
In our class, we learned about the Master Slave Dialect and that comes into play with this movie. The men were rich and bought themselves into this game or weaseled their way in from knowing the right people. “Now, ‘to recognize’ him thus is ‘to recognize’ him as his Master and to recognize himself and to be recognized as the Master’s Slave” (Hegal, 8). Molly realized how she was being treated and it was clear when she was caught. She had the opportunity to exploit all the famous athletes, businessmen, and Russian mobs but she decided to protect them rather than have it help her case.
From what you’ve learned in my Text Review, how do you think strong women entrepreneurs can stand up to the long history of male dominated business relationships? Does this movie intrigue you and for what reason? The sexism and learning opportunity, the successful game she created before being taken down, or the way she chose to take the Slave role when not giving up names in court?
