Movie Review: "The Banker"
"The Banker" tells a compelling story about the fight for civil rights through real estate and banking. In a world where capital is controlled by white people, Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) aims to break through the barriers of the housing market, redlining, and discrimination.
The Plot
Bernard Garrett moves to Los Angeles with his wife, Eunice (Nia Long), and their son to start a real estate business. He partners with Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), a lively club owner. As Black men facing constant racism, they realize they can't achieve their goals alone. They recruit Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), a working-class white man, to act as their frontman. With Matt's help, they launch a bold plan to challenge housing and banking discrimination from behind the scenes.
Familiar Biopic Style
Directed by George Nolfi, "The Banker" tells this lesser-known story in a familiar biopic style. The script, co-written by Nolfi, Niceole Levy, David Lewis Smith, and Stan Younger, follows the typical beats of inspirational true stories. Cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen adds a vintage look to the film with a light sepia tone.
Key Moments
The movie features powerful moments, such as Bernard standing up to judges to denounce racism and characters achieving the impossible. While these scenes are impactful, they can feel clichéd because many other movies have used similar emotional storylines.
Comparison to "Hidden Figures"
Like "Hidden Figures," "The Banker" focuses on everyday Black Americans who defied the odds. However, "The Banker" doesn't rely on creating sympathetic white characters to balance the narrative. Instead, the working relationship between Bernard, Joe, and Matt highlights how even well-meaning allies can fail.
Performances
Anthony Mackie delivers a solid performance as the serious Bernard Garrett, though the film doesn't give him much range beyond controlled anger. Samuel L. Jackson brings energy and charm to his role as Joe Morris, adding layers to the film by exploring socio-economic class within the Black community. Nicholas Hoult's character, Matt, provides insight into how class influences behavior and success in the business world. Unfortunately, Nia Long's character, Eunice, is underdeveloped, mainly serving to showcase the period costumes.
Critique
"The Banker" looks and feels like a classic biopic but glosses over many details of Garrett's life and alters parts of his and Eunice's history. The score by H. Scott Salinas can be overly dramatic, and some scenes get bogged down in technical housing market details. The film oversimplifies the broader context of redlining policies and implies that Garrett and Morris were the only Black men fighting housing inequality, which isn't true. There were undoubtedly others who haven't been featured in movies yet.
Conclusion
Overall, "The Banker" is a serviceable film that tells an important story with some standout performances. It may not break new ground in the biopic genre, but it sheds light on a lesser-known chapter in the fight for civil rights. Now available to stream, it's worth watching for its historical significance and engaging story.