EQUITY
US, 2016, 99 minutes, Colour.
Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas, Alysia Reiner, Craig Bierko, Margaret Colin, Nate Corddry.
Directed by Meera Menon.
One of the most remembered and requoted lines from a film is that of Gordon Gecko from Wall Street (1987). He said that “greed is good”.Commentators of the time thought that this was something of an epitaph for the 1980s.
Almost 30 years on, the sentiment is something the same only much more politely raised, “I like money”. This is a statement from the central character in this film, Naomi, a Wall Street wheeler and dealer, working on fledgling companies, ensuring them that she will raise capital, a process that is profitable for all concerned. And, at the end of the film, one of the other central characters states the same thing, leaving us pondering its value and what has happened to Naomi, and what does it profit to gain the whole world and lose…
With the title Equity, it is clear that this is a film about money. What makes the film different is that the principal protagonists who like money are all women. Equity is a term used about finance but there is inequity in terms of the place of women in the financial professions, and inequity is close to inequality, something that this film is concerned with.
Naomi (Anna Gunn) is a self-assured woman, very capable, important in her office, yet, at the opening, one of her companies does not reach expectations and her boss criticises her, indicating that she is not going to be promoted. She is a determined woman and has an assistant who initially seems to be acquiescent and carrying out orders but who, we soon learn, is fiercely ambitious in her own right. The third character, a friend of Naomi from school days, who has been working in investigative jobs, especially in the area of drugs but has been transferred to fraud issues – which leads her to get in contact once again with Naomi.
The bulk of the film is a picture of a new company, Naomi in charge of promotion and fund-raising, getting her assistant to do most of the legwork, the young boss of the company rather assured and self-confident in his manner.
But now Naomi’s boss is a man and is not in a rush that women should break the glass ceiling in financial companies. The head of the new company is also a man, flamboyant in his manner but demanding on Naomi. Naomi herself is in a relationship the financial hedge fund advisor (James Purefoy), a man who is not above double dealing with her, connecting with rather due head of the fund, complacent in a men’s world and prepared to sell Naomi out.
This kind of financial intrigue film has a great deal of plot and plot complications which keep the interest, some sympathy with Naomi at her doing what is best for the company as well as for herself, and even more sympathy as we see the duplicitous side of her assistant, a married woman with a husband at home who does the domestic roles, pregnant but more interested in taking a business phone call during her ultrasound than in the new baby. She becomes less likeable as the film goes on eliciting more sympathy for Naomi and we might have thought we would ever have.
And then there is the woman investigating fraud, with seeming integrity but already being headhunted by a large corporation company – who promise her more substantial salary: “I like money”.
This is very much a film made by women, the director, the writers (the women who play the assistant as well as the fraud investigator) and the performances by three central actresses. It is still a man’s world but these women are going to find their place in it, either with authentic talent and integrity or with the chauvinist male competitiveness that they have experienced themselves.
1. The title? Male and female equality in the workplace? And roles of authority? Financial equity and dealing in companies, shares? Women and their roles?
2. The feminist perspective, the humanist perspective, the director, the writers and performers? Female points of view? Characters and issues, insight and critique?
3. Wall Street, the 20th century philosophy that greed is good? 21st-century and liking money, making money, the prime aim of money? The world of deals, ambitions, betrayals, seeing finance and dealings as a game? Morality issues? Ethics?
4. Naomi as central, her age, experience, the television information about Dyna and the prospects, for the company, the news of its failure? Naomi’s boss, and not getting the promotion? Erin as her assistant, Naomi bossing her, demands, Erin fulfilling them? Her relationship with Michael, trusting him, satisfying her needs? Her prospects? The meeting with Samantha, on the panel with the alumnae, her answer about money and liking working in developing companies?
5. Meeting with Sam, their past, the social, the alumnae, the drink together, Samantha interrogating Naomi about Michael, Naomi leaving upset?
6. Erin, her back story, the househusband and his patience, pregnancy, going to the ultrasound, taking the phone call and her husband urging her to be present to the ultrasound of their child? Working with Naomi, wanting a promotion? Ambitions?
7. Sam, her background in Narcotics, moving to financial fraud, the boss, their discussions, the room, the photos, the arrows, the pad, suspicions? Ben as a target? Curious about Michael, the connection with Naomi? The investigation into Cachet? The personal life, at home, twins, parenting, her partner?
8. Cachet, Naomi and her support of the project, doing the due diligence, her boss’s supervision, getting Erin to prepare the documents? The meetings, abrasive with Ed? The urging of more gentle talk, Erin and her ability, smooth-talking Ed? The members present at the meeting, the issue of privacy in the company, social media? Ed, his background, advisor? Different meetings, Naomi chairing, $35 as the target for shares? Naomi and the arguments? Erin, Ed, the image of the party and inviting people who will then pay up? On the date with him? Getting him to sign the indemnity clause? Naomi and her meeting with Megan, the group against hacking, Megan being fired?
9. Michael and his friendship with Ben, Corey present, the jovial meetings, Michael giving Ben the hedgehog? Michael and his promises, Corey listening?, Ben, sleazy, hedge funds and deals? Your, the Hamptons?
10. Sam, her going after Corey, the social, drinking, smooth talk, the interrogations, getting him to hand over the information? Sam and her interviewing Erin? Naomi and Michael? And her job offer to move on for better salary?
11. Erin, antagonism towards Naomi, and ambitions, going to Michael’s apartment, the pretext of finding Naomi, the documents? The motivation? Michael pumping her? The phone call, the line on speaker, Naomi spelling out the phone number, Michael copying it? Her defence that she did not reveal anything and Michael not receiving any information?
12. Michael, smooth, background, financial advisor, the relationship with Naomi, intimacy, yet his wanting to get information from her, the discussions with Sam, with Erin, getting the phone number, passing it on to Ben, his friend the journalist and the revelation of the rumour, his going to Ben’s company? Stating that it was all a game?
13. Naomi, the phone call to Megan, the risk to the company? Megan giving the information, bought off financially, hanging up on Naomi?
14. The day of the shares, the preparation, tensions, everybody involved, Wall Street and the brokers all working, the different reactions, the rumour, the low price?
15. Naomi, going to her boss, his building block project and her toppling it?
16. Naomi losing out? Her future? Michael and his being invited to be a participant in the new company? Ben and his buying shares and property? Erin, her becoming an associate? Sam and her new job – and her repeating Naomi’s answer about the aim of making money and liking money?
