DUMB MONEY : Tuesday 7th November 2023

I finally got around to seeing the MA15+ Rated 'DUMB MONEY' after my three week sojourn in the UK. This American biographical comedy drama film, which was released here in Australia on 5th October, is Directed by Craig Gillespie whose prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Mr. Woodcock' in 2007 and 'Lars and the Real Girl' also in 2007 and then 'Fright Night' in 2011, 'Million Dollar Arm' in 2014, 'The Finest Hours' in 2016, 'I, Tonya' in 2017 and 'Cruella' in 2021. This film is based on the 2021 book 'The Antisocial Network' by Ben Mezrich, and saw its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September and was released in the US in limited theatres a week later before expanding into a wider release on 29th September. The film garnered generally favourable reviews and has so far grossed US$17.5M against a production budget of US$30M.

Keith Gill (Paul Dano) is a lower middle class man working as a financial analyst for MassMutual in Brockton, Massachusetts. During his spare time, he maintains a watchful eye on the stock market subreddit r/WallStreetBets, and posts his opinions on it via YouTube live streams under the name Roaring Kitty, with the disclaimer that he is not offering financial advice. He struggles to provide for his wife Caroline (Shailene Woodley) and his young child, and has a net worth of about US$98K. His presence on his home based YouTube channel is constantly being mocked by his brother Kevin (Pete Davidson) as nerdy rubbish. 

In June 2020, following the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Keith notices that video game retailer GameStop's stock is falling and sinks more than half of his life savings (US$53K) into buying stock in it, frequently live streaming updates with his followers. 

Despite Kevin, and Keith's colleague Briggsy (Deniz Akdeniz) claiming this is a waste of time and money, by January 2021, activity on r/WallStreetBets reveals that several hedge fund investment firms, including Melvin Capital Management and its founder Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen), have been short selling stock in the chain on the assumption it would close, causing a mass increase in GameStop's overall stock price when online retail mum and dad stock buyers, including struggling nurse Jennifer Campbell (America Ferrera), GameStop retail employee Marcos (Anthony Ramos), and lesbian college couple Riri (Myha'la Herrold) and Harmony (Talia Ryder), start aggressively buying up stock, causing Plotkin and other investment CEO's to lose hundreds of millions of dollars within the same timeframe, and Keith to be heralded as a financial sensation.

Things take a turn for the worse when r/WallStreetBets is temporarily shut down for 'inflammatory and vulgar content' (even though that had been the way for years), causing a mass surge of panic selling in GameStop's stock in an attempt to beat a perceived price drop. When the commission-free stock trading website Robinhood is unable to adequately pay the US$3B for the sales, co-chairman Vlad Tenev (Sebastian Stan), at the behest of Citadel owner and multi-billionaire Ken Griffin (Nick Offerman), places a freeze on all purchasing of GameStop's stock in an attempt to drive down the price. 

The play ultimately works, but the subsequent negative backlash results in an investigation by the United States House Committee on Financial Services, with Tenev, Griffin, Plotkin, and Keith all being subpoenaed, the former three for their roles in the fiasco and the latter on suspicion of using the situation to trick the public into making himself rich. As the investors struggle to defend their actions, Keith adamantly denies any wrongdoing in the hearing on 18th February 2021, saying 'I did not solicit anyone to buy or sell the stock for my own profit' and further stating that he was only doing what anyone with a passing awareness of investment banking would do in that situation, while concluding that 'I like the stock', by which time his initial investment of US$53K had turned into a personal fortune of US$48M all largely off the back of GameStop. 

In the months that followed, pre-credits text shows how several of the individuals were impacted, namely Plotkin was forced to shut down Melvin Capital because of the net losses the incident caused; Robinhood was the target of several lawsuits following the fiasco and wound up with its IPO starting in the stock market significantly lower than it was prior; Harmony was able to use the money she obtained to pay off her family's debt issues and continues her relationship with Riri; Marcos sold half of his GameStop stock and quit his position in the company; Jennifer remains marginally in debt but has retained her shareholding; Keith retired from YouTube in late April to get out of the public eye and sold a small portion of his now US$33M fortune to buy Kevin a brand new red Porsche 911 as a way to stop his nagging about how he will not loan him his car for his food deliveries work. Kevin still calls him a nerd however.

'Dumb Money' is a compelling story mainly because it fell in such recent times that just about all of us with the remotest interest in the stock market will remember the events that unfolded around GameStop and the events that came to pass as part of the zeitgeist of the pandemic era. The acting is on point here with particular nods to Dano and Davidson, and this cautionary tale is dramatic, humorous and entertaining and you can't help but be carried along by the stories of the little people beating the mega rich of Wall Street at their own game. The term 'dumb money' BTW was coined by Wall Street for retail mum & dad investors, whereas 'smart money' is used to describe institutional, or professional, investors. The film also stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Clancy Brown, Dane DeHaan and Olivia Thirlby. 

'Dumb Money' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 5th October 2023.

The 67th British Film Institute London Film Festival this year runs from Wednesday 4th October through until Sunday 15th October. Held in London, England for two weeks in October every year, it is estimated that around 240 feature films and 150 short films from more than seventy countries are screened at the festival each year.

This years Opening Night Gala Film is 'Saltburn' written, Co-Produced and Directed by Emerald Fennel and starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant and Archie Madekwe. The film is set in the mid-2000's, and follows a young university student who becomes infatuated with his aristocratic schoolmate and his wealthy but eccentric family. The Closing Night Gala Film is 'The Kitchen' Directed by Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya and also Co-Written and Co-Produced by Kaluuya, and sees a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, where a man and a young lad fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen - a community that refuses to abandon their home.

The following films were selected for the Galas section, which screens World, European, and British Premieres of the most anticipated films :-

* 'All of Us Strangers' is a British fantasy drama film Written and Directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell and Claire Foy.

* 'One Life' is a British biographical drama film Directed by James Hawes and stars Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, and Lena Olin.

* 'Chicken Run : Dawn of the Nugget' is a British stop motion animated comedy film Directed by Sam Fell and is a sequel to 2000's 'Chicken Run'. Starring the voice talents of Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton and Miranda Richardson.

* 'The Bikeriders' from the USA is Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols and stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook and Damon Herriman.

* 'The Book of Clarence' from the USA and is an epic biblical comedy drama film Written, Co-Produced, Directed and scored by Jeymes Samuel and starring LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch.

* 'The Holdovers' from the USA and this comedy drama film is Directed by Alexander Payne and stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph.

* 'The Killer' is from the USA this neo-noir action thriller is Directed by David Fincher and stars Michael Fassbender, Charles Parnell, Tilda Swinton and Arliss Howard.

* 'Killers of the Flower Moon' from the USA and this epic Western crime drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser.

* 'Maestro' from the USA and is a biographical drama film that is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and starring Bradley Cooper with Carey Mulligan, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman. 

* 'May December' is from the USA and this romantic drama film is Directed by Todd Haynes and stars Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton.

* 'Nyad' from the USA and this biographical sports drama film is Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin and stars Annette Bening, Jodie Foster and Rhys Ifans.

* 'Poor Things' from the UK, Ireland and the USA this steampunk dark comedy fantasy film is Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley.

In Competition, celebrates the highest creative achievements of British and international filmmakers, of which there are awards for Best Film, First Feature awarded for Directorial debut, Documentary feature film and Short Film. Most of the out-of-competition films have been organised into strands, each based on a different mood or emotion - these being Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Create, Experimenta, Family and Treasures. 

For the full run down on the aforementioned films, those films competing for awards and the films strands being showcased, plus a whole lot more, you can go to the official website at : https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp

Turning the attention then back to this weeks slew of new movies to grace a big screen Odeon near you, of which there are six, we kick start with the fourth offering in this action franchise that sees this team of elite mercenaries go head to head with a ruthless terrorist intent on igniting WWIII. Next up we have a horror film that is a direct sequel to a classic 1973 film that sees a 12-year-old girl and her friend possessed by a mysterious demonic entity, forcing her father to seek the help of two priests, and the only person who has witnessed such events before, to save her. This is followed by a biographical comedy drama film about a group of rag-tag investors who banded together to put the squeeze on at least two hedge funds that had bet that GameStop shares would fall. Then we turn to a Norwegian offering about a young woman who becomes increasingly overshadowed by her boyfriend's recent rise to fame as a contemporary artist creating sculptures from stolen furniture, so she hatches a vicious plan to reclaim her rightfully deserved attention within the milieu of Oslo's cultural elite. Following this up, we have an Aussie drama about a young Iranian mother and her six year old daughter who find refuge in an Australian women's shelter over the two week period of the Iranian new year festivities; before closing out the week with an Aussie music drama film about a terminally ill forty-something year old musician who forms an unlikely bond with a teenage runaway.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE EXPEND4BLES' (Rated MA15+) - this American action film is Directed by Scott Waugh whose previous feature film offerings include 'Act of Valor' in 2012, 'Need for Speed' in 2014, '6 Below : Miracle on the Mountain' in 2017 and 'Hidden Strike' released on Netflix earlier this year. This is the fourth instalment in 'The Expendables' film series, following 2014's 'The Expendables 3' and the previous two films released in 2010 and 2012. Those first three films in the franchise grossed worldwide US$804M off the back of combined production budgets of $US275M, with this fourth, and seemingly final instalment so far grossing US$40M off the back of a budget of US$100M since its release in the US on 22nd September. The film has generated largely unfavourable reviews.

Armed with just about every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world's final line of defence and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give 'new blood' a whole new meaning. The cast takes in returning Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture joined by that new blood, Megan Fox, 50 Cent, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio and Andy Garcia. 

'THE EXORCIST : BELIEVER' (Rated MA15+) - is an American supernatural horror film that is Co-Written and Directed by David Gordon Green whose prior feature film making efforts take in his debut in 2000 with 'George Washington' and then the likes of 'Pineapple Express' in 2008, 'Our Brand Is Crisis' in 2015 and then 'Halloween', 'Halloween Kills' and 'Halloween Ends' in 2018, 2021 and 2022 respectively. This film is the sixth instalment in 'The Exorcist' franchise, and serves as a direct sequel to 1973's 'The Exorcist'. When his daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett), and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum), show signs of demonic possession, it unleashes a chain of events that forces single father Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jnr.) to confront the nadir of evil. Terrified and desperate, he seeks out Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn, reprising her role from the first film), the only person alive who's witnessed anything like it before. The film is released this week too in the US and is the first in a new trilogy of films, with the second 'The Exorcist : Deceiver', also to be Directed by Green, due for release in mid-April 2025.

'DUMB MONEY' (Rated MA15+) - this American biographical comedy drama film is Directed by Craig Gillespie whose prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Mr. Woodcock' in 2007 and 'Lars and the Real Girl' also in 2007 and then 'Fright Night' in 2011, 'Million Dollar Arm' in 2014, 'The Finest Hours' in 2016, 'I, Tonya' in 2017 and 'Cruella' in 2021. This film is based on the 2021 book 'The Antisocial Network' by Ben Mezrich. Based on the true story  of everyday people who turn the tables on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies in January and February of 2021. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill (Paul Dano), a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets wealthy, until the billionaires fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down. The film saw its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September and was released in the US in limited theatres a week later before expanding into a wider release on 29th September. The film garnered generally favourable reviews and stars Pete Davidson, Vincent D'Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogan and Dane DeHaan. It has so far grossed US$8M against a production budget of US$30M.

'SICK OF MYSELF' (Rated MA15+) - is a Norwegian film Written, Directed and Edited by Kristoffer Borgli. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was released in its native Norway in early September last year, and only now does it get a limited showing in Australia, having so far grossed US$1M at the Box Office and having garnered generally favourable reviews. Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp) and Thomas (Eirik Saether) are in an unhealthy, competitive relationship that takes a vicious turn when Thomas suddenly breaks through as a contemporary artist. In response, Signe makes a desperate attempt to regain her status by creating a new persona hell-bent on attracting attention and sympathy.

'SHAYDA' (Rated M) - this Australian drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noora Niasari in her feature film debut having Directed a number of short films and the documentary 'Antunez House' in 2017. The film had its World Premiere screening at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and has subsequently been selected as the Australian entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 2024 Academy Awards. Here, a young Iranian mother Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) and her six-year-old daughter (Selina Zahednia) find refuge in an Australian women's shelter during the two weeks of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz) while trying to escape the manipulations of her separated, abusive husband. Also starring Leah Purcell and Osamah Sami. The film has garnered widespread critical acclaim.

'THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH' (Rated M) - this Aussie music drama film is Written and Directed by first time feature film maker Claire Pasvolsky, and is inspired by the real life story of singer and songwriter Jackie Marshall. If Angie (Jackie Marshall) wasn't so self-sabotaging, she could have been one of Australia's leading musicians. Now in her forties, she finds herself terminally ill and alone. She struggles financially and plays in a seedy downbeat pub to help finance the recording of her final album. When Angie meets Ruby (Maisie Owens), a teenage runaway, the two form an unlikely bond when Angie teaches her to play guitar and write songs, but as Ruby becomes increasingly dependent on Angie, it becomes unbearable for Angie to tell her new young friend that she only has months to live.

With six new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-