92% on Rotten Tomatoes and starring one of the finest actors alive.
Dramas like Network, Dog Day Afternoon and All the President's Men are rightfully revered as classics because aside from the superb performances and skilled direction, they all offer something that's vitally important, they ask questions in the search for the ugly truth.
For example, the superb Network asks if there's any room for morality and integrity in journalism when ratings rule all? The plight of Pacino's character in Dog Day Afternoon showed that sections of the American public cared more about the "anti-establishment" figures than those soldiers fighting in Vietnam.
By their nature, dramas are very much of the times in which they're made, and just like The Big Short, the plot for 99 Homes feels like it was ripped straight out of today's headlines because this is a shocking indictment of the housing crisis that's perverted the 'American Dream.'
Ok, what's it about?
Charismatic and ruthless businessman Rick Carver (Michael Shannon), is making a fortune by repossessing homes - gaming the real estate market, Wall Street banks and the US government in the process.
When he evicts Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield), a single father that's desperately trying to care for his mother (Laura Dern) and young son (Noah Lomax), Nash becomes so desperate to provide for his family that he goes to work for Carver – the very man who evicted him in the first place.
Carver promises Nash a way to regain his home and earn security for his family, but slyly seduces him into a lifestyle of wealth and glamour. It is a deal-with-the-devil that comes with an increasingly high cost - on Carver's orders, Nash must evict families from their homes. As Nash falls deeper into Carver's web, he finds his situation grows more brutal and dangerous than he ever imagined.
Imagine a modern day version of Wall Street that's mixed with the Devil's Advocate and you're on the destructive and murky path that's set out in 99 Homes.
With a rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ramin Bahrani's drama has proven to be a critical darling and with good reason. If you've seen Michael Shannon in the likes of Take Shelter, Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road or Bug then you'll know that he's a remarkably gifted actor that consistently delivers extremely impressive performances.
Here's what some of the critics said about 99 Homes.
New York Times - "If 99 Homes is a scolding look at a society gone astray, it is also a minor masterpiece of suspense."
Rolling Stone - "In these days when Hollywood typically dulls our wits, Ramin Bahrani's 99 Homes has a fire in its belly. It's spoiling to be heard."
The Times - "A gripping and often thrilling account of life in the jaws of America's sub-prime mortgage crisis."
Wall Street Journal - "A relatively small, tough-minded drama about pitiless people doing unprincipled things, proves to be one of the most interesting, elegantly crafted and --paradoxically, given the dark subject matter -- elating films to come along in recent memory."
The Guardian - "99 Homes is an exciting and emotionally grandstanding drama about temptation, shame, humiliation and greed."
Despite these very impressive reviews, the film only made $1,411,927 at the box-office. Unlike the bankers in 99 Homes, don't make a cold and ruthless decision based solely on numbers. Seek it out.
99 Houses airs on Film 4 at 9pm on September 27th.
https://twitter.com/Film4/status/910598210145501184
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh0piQN1_LY
Clip via -
Movieclips Trailers
