99 Homes (2014)

Directed by: Ramin Bahrani | 112 minutes | drama| Actors: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Noah Lomax, Tim Guinee, Albert C. Bates, Jayson Warner Smith, Gretchen Koerner, Liann Pattison, Cullen Moss, Nicole Barré, Judd Lormand, Javier Molina, JD Evermore, Donna Duplantier

’99 Homes’ is set in modern-day Orlando, the economic crisis is in full swing. Left and right people are losing their jobs and homes. Young construction worker Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield) is in the thick of it. When he is fired, the bank rings the bell in no time to claim the house where he has lived all his life. To make matters worse, his expensive tools are also stolen during the eviction. When Dennis goes to get a story from the broker who arranged the eviction, he is unexpectedly hired by him.

Dennis stands with his back against the wall. He urgently needs work, not only to support himself, but also to provide a roof over his mother and son. But does he want to work for the person who put him, his mother and his son on the street? At least Carver makes no mistake about what kind of boss he is. “I want to be able to count on you 24 hours a day. I don’t care if your kid is in a school play, if it’s Christmas or if you’re about to get the best blowjob in all of Orlando. If you work for me, you are mine.” Of course Dennis agrees to the proposal, without it ’99 Homes’ wouldn’t exist. But whether he will be changed forever by the thousands of dollars he earns thanks to Carver, that is the question. Can you look the people you have to bully straight in the eye if you know from your own experience what it feels like to be in their shoes?

The themes in ’99 Homes’ are timeless: injustice, corruption and greed, essentially the story of Faust. But against the background of the current financial crisis, it is an urgent drama that makes an impact through the contradictions between the rich and powerful and the common people. They are normal, hard-working people who are the victims of the corrupt system, not asos, drunks or petty criminals. The viewer can identify perfectly with protagonist Nash, and his inner struggle between good and evil is made tangible by the fantastic Andrew Garfield. But Michael Shannon also steals the show: he is tough – sometimes viciously funny – but his performance makes you cold to the bone. Due to the unpredictability of his character – and that of his victims – the tension remains high until the end. Excellent thriller that is supported by the strong acting.