THE BET
Australia, 2007, 95 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Newton, Aden Young, Sybilla Budd, Roy Billing.
Directed by Mark Lee.
With its contemporary setting in Sydney amongst the money movers and shakers, this is a film with an interest especially for those who share the same age and preoccupations as the central characters: those in their 20s and 30s. Older audiences may find the film a reminder of the past, successes and/or failures with, maybe, something of regret that people have to go through crises, personal, occupational, financial and moral – and fail.
Aden Young plays a wealthy executive who challenges a colleague and sometime friend (though his callous self-interest and disregard of others really means that friendship is not his strong point) to a bet about who can make the most money in 90 days. Matthew Newton plays the friend and the focus is principally on him and what he does and does not do – and what motivates him. It is a kind of junior Wall Street, Sydney style.
The narrative of the film highlights the days passing. Newton is supremely self-confident, moves with conscious ease among his peers, always veering towards the arrogant. He has a more ‘humble’ background than others and basks in his social opportunities, parties, golf, clubs. He enters into a relationship with an enterprising lawyer (Sybilla Budd).
He is frequently offered the opportunity to drop out of the contract, but this seems to make him more daring. Needless to say, he becomes entangled with financial complications, possibilities for insider trading, some industrial and legal espionage, led on by associates and their ambiguous friendship, until…
Newton is bright-eyed and hopeful, a stock trading enthusiast. Young is at times amiable, at times sinister. Roy Billing has a good role as Newton’s father, a reminder of reality in a too highly speculative world.
The film was directed by Mark Lee, best known for his role in Gallipoli.
1.A topical story? An Australian Wall Street? The tradition of films about finance? Australian style?
2.The Sydney settings, affluence, flats and homes, clubs, offices, restaurants? The affluent atmosphere? The musical score?
3.The title, the focus?
4.The portraits of two young men, their contrasts? A portrait of women, in the workplace? Money, competitiveness, rivalry, envy? Malice? Destructive choices and consequences?
5.The introduction to Will and Angus, their backgrounds, origins, wealth/not having wealth? Companies, moneymaking, stock exchanges? The talk, the bet itself? Angus’s intentions? The effect on Will?
6.The ninety days, the film using the chapters indicating the passing of time and the particular days?
7.The focus on Will, his age, experience, family background, his father and his relationship to him, his success, stocks and shares, buying and selling, his clients? Nick at the adjacent desk, the rivalry? The sad companion, his always talking about sex, their outings together? His advice, inside trading? The men’s talk? Meeting Tori, relating to her? Her girlfriend and the apartment owned by Angus? Their talking, moving in, their life together, the possibilities?
8.Angus and his background, his wealthy family, confident, moneymaking, relationships, women, the girl in the apartment? His reason for friendship with Will, taunting him, allowing him to back out of the bet, the concern? Or not?
9.The talk about inside trading, the advice about the development of drugs, the alert, Tori and her work as a lawyer, Will and his spying on her papers? The decision to set up the rumours, the phone calls, the newspapers, the boosts, the changes on the stock exchange? His relationship with Patricia, her being an assistant, the sexual complications, the possibilities of sexual harassment, her role in buying and selling? The irony that it was revealed she was working for Angus? The gains, the loss for the client, ringing him up, covering the situation? The risks? His father’s money?
10.Will’s father, good man, his work, building the boats, meeting Tori and liking her, the social discussions? His partners? Not wanting to lend his son any money? His change of mind, suffering the losses, his reaction, concern about his son? Facing him? Will’s arrest? His care, wanting to help his son – and the grief at the funeral?
11.The truth, the losses, going to the client, the client seeming to cover things over, the police arriving?
12.Tori, her love for Will, not always understanding him, her disgust at what had happened? The reality that Angus was her client and was losing money?
13.Moments of choice, daring, risk? Presumption and over-confidence? The final confrontation between Will and Angus, the physical fight?
14.Will over-reaching himself, the consequences? His death? His father’s reaction? Patricia’s reaction and talking to Tori?
15.The ultimate them of asking what does it profit to gain everything and lose one’s soul?
