Equity

August 26, 20166 min

The world of Wall Street has always had the attention of the world because money is what makes it go round. While some might say it’s love, most would agree it is, the love of money, as the great David Mamet once said. In the eighties Gordon Gekko taught us that greed is good, but after the meltdown of 2008, greed became not a good word to say. Hey, though we as Americans believe in forgiveness and have moved on from past transgressions. The one thing all the movies about Wall Street have in common is they are all told from a man’s perspective. Sure men have run that world for as long as it seems, but women have started to command attention, because who doesn’t’ want to make money?

One woman who wants to make that dough is Naomi Bishop (Anna Gunn), because she tells you she does. Naomi is an Investment Banker who is coming off a rough few months. Everything is looking brighter as she is about to launch her newest IPO with a company she knows will be big. Her lover, Michael (James Purefoy) wants to get inside info, so that he can help his hedge fund buddies. Michael doesn’t only have the attention of Naomi, as a old college friend, Samantha (Alysia Reiner) who works for the government has her sights set on him as well, but for different reasons. For Michael it’s not about the money, but for the game, something he enjoys playing. When Naomi’s VP Erin (Sarah Megan Thomas) tries seeking her out at Michael’s, she knowingly shears some information that Michael should not know. Soon the game begins and like all games there is a winner and a loser, with the winner claiming the spoils.

“Equity” is written by Amy Fox, with story credit going to her, as well as Sarah Megan Thomas and Alysia Reiner, the later two both staring the film as well. Joining the creative team is director Meera Menon (Farah Goes Bang) who feels like she is the right woman for the job. All of it comes together because of Gunn though, who has shown with “Breaking Bad” that she can play the role, and with it fits perfectly in this performance. Everything you want in a Wall Street movie is there, moneymakers, the lifestyle, and has of course the monologues about making money. While those parts are there, what the film lacks is suspense. Sure you know something is going down, but the question becomes ‘do you really care?’ The stakes are not there, as you form no connection or empathy with any characters, as they all are as cold as a New York winter. While Gunn is good, you don’t really invest in her, and like her IPO it doesn’t pay off for anyone involve. The film has some nice dialogue, including how I will refer to my chocolate chips in any cookie I eat, it isn’t enough to pull a mediocre film to something better. “Equity” is good for it shows something we all have known, which is women can do what a man can do just as well. While that message is good, it just doesn’t equal a good movie, with this being one investment you should wait on.

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