Dumb Money

Never seen a Made for TV movie in a theatre before, but that's what this feels like. Maybe it has a lot to do with the events this movie being about not even being three years old and already getting such a detailed movie.

I have to admit, the shakeup of Wall Street definitely was worth talking about and I have to say this movie did a better job of explaining the whole story than the documentary Game Stop: Rise of the Players.

Despite speaking with some of the real people Rise of the Players did not have the heart needed to get me to understand the numbers of exactly how these guys did it.

So, for teaching me that, I love it. It's a mediocre movie but everyone loves an underdog story, and this is a great one!

The true story of The GameStop shares, how everyday people, detached from Wall Street turned the tables, and sent an Earthquake through the establishment.

If you recently watched Gran Turismo, it's a similar sort of film, the everyday people taking on the elite, the establishment, only this time, someone dares to take on The big money traders, the investors, those that play with money.

I wasn't sure initially, but it opens up and develops into a good film, it's a story of David Vs Goliath, a triumph over adversity....only the odds are naturally stacked in favour of The Financiers.

It was wonderful to get to see the real faces at the end, it brought home that this was actually based on a true story, crazy to believe it actually happened.

They did not hold back when it came to exposing the rotten system, the various bailouts that have happened several times over, with public money.

Paul Dano was great I thought here, a subtle, understated performance, Seth Rogan very good also, always good to see him in a serious role, that scene where he played out his speech, brilliant.

A surprisingly good movie.

7/10.

Here's a movie I liked quite a bit. I think more people should have seen it. Going by the Wikipedia entry for its box office return, it didn't do all that well financially, which is ironic.

Perhaps that's because like me, audiences felt they might not be able to understand the ins and outs of its story, which involves the world of stock trading, something out of reach for the average person. But again, that's ironic, because the whole point of the story, the lesson learned by the history portrayed here, is that that world isn't as out of reach as we think.

I believe the movie does a very good job of making this stuff understandable to people like me, so I wish more people would take a chance on it.

The heart of the movie is really Paul Dano's performance. I have long thought he is one of the best actors in the world. Here, he embodies the guy at the centre of the GameStop short squeeze seemingly effortlessly.

I was also very impressed by Seth Rogen playing a role I totally did not expect to see him in. He's a Hollywood good guy, but portrays one of the rich guys at war with "dumb money", ie. People trying to pick up a little extra money with stocks, while getting sneered at by those with so much money they can game the system.

Or so they thought.

The movie is possibly a little less successful with its various portrayals of people on either side of the squeeze. It's possible it has too many characters, I'm not sure. At first I wasn't sure who everybody was, and if they were supposed to be good guys or bad guys (because the movie definitely has those).

You know what? I think I'm going to watch it again, now that I know who everybody is. That's actually pretty high praise. These days I often quit on movies before they're over, but not this one.

I wasn't as hyped about this movie as others because it's recent history that's still fresh in our memories. People who were interested in the story during covid will remember it well. However, I do appreciate that it immortalizes the story, even though a part of me thinks it might be a bit too soon.

It's a financial underdog movie, and just like during the events in 2020, it had me rooting for Keith Gill. There are moments of incredible humor. The characters are well-written and have great chemistry. The film opts for a minimalist and simple style, lacking flashy visuals, but it excels in storytelling and humor. It also boasts a good soundtrack.

I wished it could have left a more enduring impression on me, one that made me believe I could achieve what the characters did, much like the real Keith Gill/Roaring Kitty accomplished. It lacked that magnetic allure that movies like "Goodfellas" or "The Wolf of Wall Street" possess, where you're drawn to emulate the characters despite the consequences. These films romanticize their lifestyles, no matter how destructive they may be. My hope was that this movie would do the same but entice viewers to aspire to be the "good guys" who ultimately triumphed, rather than emulate the Ken Griffens and Vlad Tenevs of the world. That's what underdog movies typically achieve. Additionally, I found the pacing inconsistent, with moments of genuine engagement alternating with periods when my brain seemed to be on autopilot.

While it's a good movie, it didn't completely blow me away. This might be because we're already familiar with the story due to its recent occurrence. In some ways, this familiarity helps the movie, but in other ways, it doesn't. I don't think it's better or even on par with "The Wolf of Wall Street," for example, but it stands well on its own. Unlike films like that or even "The Big Short," I don't think this movie will be held in such high regard a decade from now as it will be now. Nevertheless, it's still an enjoyable, fun, and funny experience. Definitely worth a watch, all things considered.

This is an important story, one that everyone should learn about -- the true version, at any rate; that includes understanding some technical (but not overly technical) details about what happened, and why.

With this film, unfortunately (as with many others), Hollywood treats its viewers as 'dumb money'. This one prioritizes the industry's current identity politics mandate -- even over and above the class conflict and issues regarding market fairness -- over relaying critical information and details to the viewers about what sort of chicanery and shadiness actually transpired.

As examples, the film did not even spend two minutes explaining to the viewers about: how the Robinhood app actually worked. E.g., the shares were NOT coming from the open market per se; Gill's actual views; what was really happening and said on Reddit; why the government ceased its investigation; the big money that got behind the short squeeze (e.g., Burry, R Cohen, et al); the IMPORTANCE of the disconnect between investing and investment "fundamentals" here (i.e., people investing not because they truly believed in the company's underlying value, and surely not merely holding stock and investing even more solely because Gill himself did so...).

The filmmakers also enjoyed parading their current favourite American congressmen before the viewers. Funnily enough, however, the film ignored WHY those legislators' political colour team members in the Executive branch -- including the named oversight bodies -- quashed the investigations. One wonders why...

A relatively popular four-part documentary on the GameStop saga is overly long and misses certain critical details (indeed, perhaps the most heinous tidbit in the tale). Even so, it's far superior to this movie. So, save your money and watch it, or a comparable documentary, instead. Alternatively, perhaps just read the book upon which this film was based?

The acting was mostly good, but the script was weak and, again, the omissions in key details are unforgivable. A nice followup (independent) film would nevertheless be about the film industry being rigged too and how it's a propaganda tool.