From Gordon Gekko in Wall
Street to the enterprising
boys' club of The Big Short,
financial world flicks have always been owned by men, were basically made for
men, and definitely were made by men. Equity sets out to change that as a financial
world thriller built from the ground up by talented women, starring talented
women, and about women who are as good in their field as their male
counterparts. And while it's great and definitely worthy to see this kind of
project take shape, just having strong female characters isn't quite enough.
These ladies have depth and are as devious and ambitious as any man, and
certainly they are the main reason why this is a film worth investing your time
in.
Because, to put it
frankly, the corporate thriller aspects are leaden and dull like so many of
these movies tend to be, the only difference is that now we're seeing them from
a distinctly feminine perspective. It's the women in their power suits and high
heels, facing the daily discrimination that so many women in real life face
that are truly fascinating. If only the story could have been solely about
them, because the performances are uniformly excellent. Anna Gunn, known for
her tremendous work on Breaking
Bad, brings the heat as Naomi Bishop, a senior investment banker fed up
with the glass ceiling reserved for anybody who doesn't have a penis. She's a
particularly fearsome customer; her icy glare and frustration can strike at men
and women alike at a moment's notice. And Heaven forbid you try to give her a
chocolate chip cookie with only a few chips. It could be career suicide.
Naomi's most recent deal went bad in a very public way. For most men this can
be brushed off, but for a woman it could be the end. She needs to bounce back,
and decides going public with a hot IPO is the way to go. It could be huge, but
when questions arise about its security, Naomi is forced to go on the offensive
to control the message.
Equity refuses to conjure up excuses for its characters, or soften
them because they are women. Sex is a weapon they use willingly, either as a
tool or as a tease, but we also see the way it can negatively impact a woman's
career. Naomi's protégé Erin (producer Sarah Megan Thomas, who also developed
the story) has designs on her boss' job, but it could all go away in a flash if
anyone learns her big secret: that she's pregnant. Meanwhile, Samantha (Orange
is the New Black's Alysia Reiner, another producer and developer), an old
friend of Naomi's, is a prosecutor unafraid to use her sexuality to lure
information out of hapless male witnesses. They don't stand a chance. Is it a
coincidence she's sniffing around just as Naomi is walking this high-wire act
to save her career? Probably not.
The melodrama runs
thick, too thick, and the stakes get lost as a result. Also, while nobody is
really trustworthy in this corporate pit of vipers, men are almost comically
so. James Purefoy plays sleazes his way through as Naomi's lover who is angling
for some insider information, and Craig Bierko makes a memorably unsavory cameo
as an investor you wish someone would slap in the face. Director Meera Menon,
working from a cliché and analogy-heavy script by Amy Fox, captures the
fearlessness and class of these women from the boardroom to the bedroom, while
the costume designer deserves notice for recognizing how important fashion is
in the corporate world. It's almost as important as money. Oh, who are we
kidding? Nothing is as important as money. "Greed is good", and Equity makes sure everyone knows women
are coming to get their piece, too, and probably some of yours.
Rating: 3 out of 5
