It was a sensational news story back in 1973. While walking the streets of Rome alone at night, the 16-year-old grandson of American billionaire J Paul Getty was abducted by masked men.
His captors demanded a ransom of $17 million for the boy’s safe release. Getty refused to part with a penny, despite his oil billions.
“I have 14 grandchildren and if I pay one penny now, I’ll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren,” he famously said.
Ridley Scott’s retelling of events benefits hugely from a stellar cast. The self-absorbed tycoon is played by a never-better Christopher Plummer, taking over from the disgraced Kevin Spacey following allegations of sexual misconduct. The boy’s mother, Gail, by Michelle Williams — terrific here, unlike her lacklustre turn in last week’s The Greatest Showman.
A supreme stylist, Scott builds up the tension superbly. The standoff stretches out over months; midway, the teenager’s right ear is cut off. Gail becomes increasingly desperate to rescue her son (Charlie Plummer, no relation to Christopher), and finally gets some help from a fixer (Mark Wahlberg) tasked by old man Getty with resolving the crisis.
The negotiations with the abductors are not always convincing, but the ticking-clock thriller elements are executed with flair.
{{/usCountry}}The negotiations with the abductors are not always convincing, but the ticking-clock thriller elements are executed with flair.
{{/usCountry}}It is also commendable that Ridley Scott managed to reshoot all the Kevin Spacey scenes in time to ensure the film made the deadline for awards-season contention.
Both Christopher Plummer and Michelle Williams have already garnered Golden Globe nominations. Given their performances, Oscars could follow.