Movie Review - Equity

Equity ** (out of 5) (R) Most of us think that Wall Street, especially at the highest levels, is populated mainly by overly-privileged jerks...or worse; or MUCH worse. That sentiment grew exponentially after the financial disaster they caused in 2008. So movies about their sordid lives and come-uppances have been far more popular than the high-rollers they portray. The only freshness from this one is that it features top-level women in the biz, who turn out to be every bit as greedy, manipulative, ambitious and ready to break the rules or stab the nearest back for power and profit.

Anna Gunn stars as the mortgage banker who hasn’t gotten the full credit and position she thinks she’s earned despite a recent high-profile failure. Sarah Megan Thomas, who co-authored the script, plays her even more undervalued assistant. Alysia Reiner is an ambitious federal prosecutor, angling to convict a fat-cat for insider trading. Her target is square on the back of James Purefoy, who works for another division of Gunn’s institution, while regularly exchanging fluids with her away from the office.

Despite the gender issue, the film is surprisingly dull. There’s no one to root for, or even like to any meaningful extent. It’s a variation on The Wolf of Wall Street, albeit drained of the sex, blow, comic relief and charisma among its cast. The principals are talented actors, and the financial nuances are relatively easy for most to follow. Even so, what happens is severely short on dramatic tension and emotional investment in the fates of the characters we meet. When “the revolution” comes, the part of the One-Percenters depicted here will be a big factor in why it happens. (8/26/16)