99 Homes **** (2015, Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Noah Lomax) – Movie Review

Former Spider-Man Andrew Garfield stars as an American single father construction worker who struggles to get back the home that his son (Noah Lomax) and mother (Laura Dern) were evicted from by a greedy real estate broker (Michael Shannon).

The family hits rock bottom. It’s America. There’s no safety net. They are forced to stay in a grungy motel room, and the only work Garfield’s Dennis Nash can get is ironically with Shannon’s Rick Carver. This proves Garfield’s rocky road back but not necessarily his road to redemption. He could get his home but still lose his soul. Garfield turns into Shannon, and starts to evicts innocent families just like his from their houses.

Acting, writing and direction are superb in writer-director Ramin Bahrani‘s distinguished, compelling, intelligent social drama that bristles with ideas as well as tension. It works as a kind of psychological thriller but also as a treasure trove of ideas. It won the Grand Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival on 12 September 2015.

The out-of-the-box left-field casting of Garfield proves a triumph. He is astonishingly good, inhabiting his character, emotions and milieu perfectly. Shannon may be cast to type, but no one could do it better. It’s odd to find Dern playing the mother of Garfield, but it’s a good role and she’s a good actress who can make it work.

I imagine this powerful and important movie will have a tough time finding an audience but it begs for one. Hopefully here’s a moment critics can help, if the public still believes good reviews and star rating on posters.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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