FREEFALL
US, 2009, 89 minutes, Colour.
Dominic Cooper, Aiden Gillen, Joseph Mawle, Olivia Chamberlin, Riz Ahmed, Charlie Creed- Miles.
Directed by Dominic Savage.
Freefall is one of several television movies made by writer Dominic Savage. They all have a strong social focus, love plus hate, born equal.
This film is about the financial collapse of 2008, especially with issues of mortgages and reselling of mortgages.
There are three stories: one the story of Dave, a brash salesman who persuades a school friend, Jim (Joseph Mawle), to buy mortgage when he has been not allowed credit from the banks. His decision is made despite the protests of his wife (Olivia Chamberlin in an effective performance). The second story is that of Jim and his wife, their move, his losing his job, the inability to pay off the mortgage, the resale of their house, the sometimes heartless treatment by the financiers. The third story concerns Gus, an ambitious and workaholic financier involved in suspicious schemes for buying and selling loans. Riz Ahmed is his assistant. Rosamund Pike is another assistant with whom he is having an affair. He is concerned about his marriage break-up but especially with meetings with his teenage daughter. Eventually his lover confronts him with the truth, resigns, soon after the financial collapse begins and he is even barred from entering the building where his office is. In despair, he talks optimistically – but there is a pessimistic ending.
The film ends with a coda, with the brash salesman moving from mortgages to ‘green initiatives’. He is played well by Dominic Cooper.
1. The impact of the film? In 2009? Mirroring the events of the previous years? As seen in retrospect?
2. The title, the reference to the world situation, American banks, mortgages, the effect on world finance? The British situation? Companies, their brash investments, their losses? The effect on the wheeler-dealers? The contrast with ordinary citizens, caught up in the greed motivation, wanting things better, taking out impossible loans and mortgages?
3. 2009, Britain, suburbia, ordinary homes, the shopping malls? The contrast with the glass buildings in the city of London, their affluence?
4. The opening, the motivational speaker, his abusive style, unscrupulous? Dave and the other sellers? Being urged to go out? Dave and the collage of his visits? Persuasion? His girlfriend and her ambitions, greed? The encounter with Jim at the shopping mall? Jim as a security guard, chatting and memories of school, the girlfriend and her petulance? Dave and his new home? His going out, on the town, drinking, girls? His disappearing from the film until the end? Jim going to find him, in the apartment, the fight? His being shamed by Jim? The postscript and his continuing his style, the big car, trying to persuade people to buy green initiatives? Unredeemable?
5. Jim and his wife, Jim and his steady job, the family, the ordinary home? Dave and his spiels, his persuasiveness? Jim believing him, talking things over with his wife, her caution? Taking out the mortgage? The rising of the rates? The phone calls, being unable to pay? His taking double jobs, sleeping, being let go from the company? The growing despair? The portrait of his wife, an ordinary woman, happy with her family, not wanting the extras, her condemnation of greed? Her despair, yet her support of Jim? Jim and his confrontation of Dave, the fight? The family moving out? The advice from the better mortgage adviser? Accepting one’s life?
6. The story of Gus, his energy, working with Gary, with the team, the gains, the celebrations? His personal life, wrapped up in his work? Unscrupulous? Meetings with his daughter, their discussions? His relationship with his girlfriend? The change in fortunes, the world situation, the continued losses, the huge changes in fortune? Trying to cope? Gary and his advice and help? His girlfriend and her resignation, telling him the truth? His not being admitted to the building? With his daughter, weeping, her embarrassment? His wife remarrying? His talks with Gary, dreams of jobs in Singapore, opportunities? His going to the overpass?
7. The combination of stories, human interest, topical? The film highlighting the issues of the period – and challenging audiences to think about them?
