All the Money in the World

In 1973, 16-year-old J. P. “Paul” Getty III (Charlie Plummer), the grandson of oil magnate J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), finds himself in a dire situation when he is kidnapped in Rome by a ruthless organized crime group. At the time, Getty was the wealthiest private citizen globally, having made his fortune in Saudi Arabia by negotiating oil rights and constructing a supertanker to transport it, amassing over $1 billion by 1965.

Through a series of flashbacks, we discover that Paul’s parents, Gail Harris (Michelle Williams) and John Getty Jr. (Andrew Buchan), once led a happy life in the U.S. However, when John loses his job, Gail encourages him to reach out to Getty for help. This correspondence results in Getty offering John a position at Getty Oil and revealing a keen interest in grooming Paul to be just as ruthless as himself. His first gift to Paul, an Egyptian Minotaur sculpture worth $1.2 million, showcases his extravagant nature, as Paul naively mistakes it for a toy and is astonished to learn its true value.

As time passes, John’s personal struggles, including a painful descent into drug addiction and infidelity, strain their marriage, culminating in Gail filing for divorce in 1971. Having declined alimony in favor of sole custody of her children, Gail finds herself in a position where she cannot afford the $17 million ransom demanded by Paul’s kidnappers.

The kidnapping ordeal intensifies on July 10th, 1973, when Getty is informed by his secretary Nancy (Stacy Martin), who tries to get him to listen to Gail’s pleas for help, but Getty coldly dismisses her request. He publicly declares that paying ransoms would only encourage more kidnappings, despite having 14 grandsons himself. This lack of empathy feeds public suspicion and media scrutiny, with many believing Gail is wealthy and thus criticizing her for refusing to pay.

In step Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), a negotiator for Getty Oil and former CIA operative, who is assigned to investigate the abduction and secure the boy’s release. Getty instructs Chase to shield Gail from the grim realities of the situation. Frustrated but determined, Chase attempts to reassure Gail that acting impulsively may endanger Paul further.

Meanwhile, Paul endures a harrowing captivity in a hideout in Calabria, Southern Italy. His captors, especially Cinquanta (Romain Duris), initially tolerate him due to his calm demeanor. However, as weeks drag on without ransom payment, the tension escalates. In a tragic turn, one kidnapper is killed after exposing his identity to Paul, and despite attempts to locate him, a mistaken identification of a deceased body nearly ignites hope before Gail identifies it as not being her son.

Chase’s investigative skills eventually lead to the location of Paul’s captors, but a raid reveals that he has since been sold to another crime organization who demand even higher ransom payments. The situation becomes dire when one of Paul’s ears is mutilated and sent to a newspaper with threats of further harm unless payment is made.

Despite her struggle, Gail manages to gather the ransom required, and with Chase’s assistance, lays out a plan to retrieve her son. Ultimately, after much negotiation and facing heartbreak, Getty agrees to pay only $1 million, leaving the weight of the remaining ransom on Gail’s shoulders. In a desperate bid, she signs over parental rights, knowing she provides custody to Getty’s son.

The climax of this emotional saga occurs when the ransom exchange takes an unexpected turn. As Paul tries to escape his captors during the tense negotiations, he crosses paths with both Chase and Gail. They manage to slip him out of danger, ultimately bringing him back to safety. Tragically, J. Paul Getty passes away in 1976, and Gail takes on the responsibility of managing her children’s inherited wealth, which she starts converting into a charitable trust aimed at preserving the family’s legacy. Most of the substantial artifacts and artworks that Getty had acquired over the years are eventually organized for sale, many of which now embody the vast collection at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Last Updated: November 04, 2024 at 00:53