99 HOMES

US, 2014, 112 minutes, Colour.
Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Clancy Brown, Noah Lomax, Tim Guinee.
Directed by Ramin and Bahrani.

One of the dire consequences of the global financial crisis of 2008 was the foreclosure on many homes, owners who had borrowed from banks but were unable to pay, the debts sold on to other companies who made merciless demands with a great number of evictions.

This is the setting of 99 Homes, in 2010.

Dennis Nash is a builder, living in his home, with his young son and with Dennis’ mother. They are played well by Andrew Garfield, Noah Lomax as, Connor, and Laura Dern. Dennis is on a building job when the finance collapses and he is not paid. Suddenly, the real estate agent, Rick Carver, Michael Shannon always so convincing as a villain, is at the door with police from the sheriff’s department and a group of labourers, demanding that Dennis and his family leave the house, are trespassing, because the bank owns the house and has delegated the eviction to Carver and his group – and the family is given two minutes grace to hurriedly pack what they need while the rest of their possessions are removed from the house onto the footpath.

The sequence is quite powerful, disturbing the audience emotionally as they identify with Dennis and his family, their shock, desperation, anger, resignation. They then have to move into a motel where they find families in similar situations.

When Dennis goes back to find his tools which seemed to have been stolen by some of the group, Carver is faced with a crisis in another house and offers Dennis the job, to fix it for ready cash. Dennis agrees, does the job well, and is offered quite a number of jobs, once again cash in hand, by Carver.

The film becomes one of those parables on the Gospel text, “what does it profit to gain the whole world and to lose one’s soul?”. Not only is Dennis effective at his jobs, he impresses Carver and they form a kind of friendship and partnership, with Dennis called on to do further jobs, especially stealing air conditioning units and swimming pool pumps so that Carver can offer to supply replacements and so gain contracts for selling the houses. Eventually, Dennis becomes an agent of eviction, confronting, especially, a neighbour who had met him in court when the decision went against Dennis and who is now in a similar situation.

Meanwhile, Carver thrives, owns a mansion, and another house lodging a mistress, is involved in million-dollar deals to own further houses and evict more people, a substantial cut going to Dennis who buys a better home for his family. When his mother realises what is going on, especially when, during his son’s birthday party, another family arrive at the motel and confront Dennis, she moves out with Connor.

The culmination of the film is, of course, conscience-time, with the neighbour going to court, a forged document submitted, a siege at the house with the rifle, and Dennis having to decide whether his career path has been worthwhile, and whether he has lost his integrity.

Many audiences will identify with the characters and situations, share the feelings of anger and desperation, be torn by the moral dilemmas that face Dennis (but which don’t seem to affect Carver). 99 Homes won an award in Venice 2014 from SIGNIS, the World Association for Communication.

1. The title? Audience expectations? The Global Financial Crisis in 2008, the consequences? Debts, foreclosures, evictions, consequences? Real stories?

2. The Orlando setting, the suburbs, the streets and homes, exteriors and interiors? The contrast with the mansions? The business world? The courts? The musical score?

3. Dennis, at work, the building, being laid off, no cash, his debts, his son, school, his mother living at home, her business with hair?

4. The scene of the eviction, emotional, its impact on the characters, on the audience? The effect of Dennis and his emotions, his son looking up to him, disappointed, his mother’s bewilderment? The pleas to Carver? loans, property and homes? Carver and his stances, calm, getting the sheriffs to do the work, his role, his company, for the banks, to himself? The workers outside? Two minutes grace to pack things to go, everything else on the footpath? The truck, the missing tools?

5. Going to the motel, the range of people there in similar circumstances, moving in, the small room, settling?

6. The tools, Dennis’s return to his home, meeting Carver, the challenge to the workers? The news about the house and the sewage, Carver offering money? Seeing Carver’s mansion, his daughters and wife, the other house, the girlfriend?

7. Carver and his offer, the temptation for Dennis, selling himself and his soul? The stealing of the air conditioning plants, the pool pumps, storing them? The plans for replacement, the scam, Carver supplying new amenities, getting the contracts, the cut for Dennis? Money in hand?

8. Carver as a character, Michael Shannon’s screen presence, look, manner of acting, his severity in his job, coming up from nothing, profitability, the friendship with Dennis, working together, the promise of money?

9. Dennis going solo, the evictions, meeting with Frank, the links from the time in court, the judge against Dennis, 60 seconds? Frank and the same experience? Dennis and the offer of keys for cash, the range of people seen, their needs, being ousted?

10. The issue of the home, trying to recover his old home, his buying the new house? The deal with his money, with Carver? The further deals, the meeting with the affluent businessman, the helicopter rides surveying the homes? The party, drinking, the affluent lifestyle?

11. Dennis, his son, at school, bonding, the birthday party, the aggressive man arriving, confronting Dennis, his wanting to hide? His mother and her reaction? Not wanting the new house? Ultimately taking her grandson to relatives in Tampa?

12. The final deal, Frank as target, the forged document, taking to the court, Dennis hesitant, its being snatched, the 60 seconds judgement, the harshness of the judge? Dennis and Frank and his family, the boy and his friendship with Dennis’s son?

13. The scene of the eviction, Frank and his gun, Dennis and his conscience, Carver and the sheriffs watching? Action, going up to Frank, confessing, Frank lowering the gun? Czaarver’s reaction?

14. The boy at the window of the car, Carver and his dealing with the situation? Dennis arrested?

15. What could happen after this?