First Hit: Confusing movie about important subjects; income discrepancy, responsibility, and revenge.
I’m not very sure on how to write this review as the disjointed presentation of the subjects mentioned above left me wondering about the film’s intent.
At the end of the movie, next to still photos of the film’s scenes, we are given information about how clothing designers, companies, and sellers make billions of dollars of profit while the people who sew the clothing make as little as $2.47 for a 10-hour day of work.
The overall story follows Sir Richard McCreadie (Steve Coogan), Greedy McCreadie, as he’s referred to by many, from his high school days when he left school, focused on making money to his 60th birthday party. As we learn, he was always conniving someone to play cards or playing a game called find the queen. If not that he finds ways to buy something low and sell it high.
How he got into the fashion industry was more of an accident than a purpose. From a part-time endeavor, McCreadie excelled at the art of negotiating extremely low clothing manufacturing prices. Seeing an opportunity to make a lot of money with these skills, he decides to open a clothing store, and it becomes very successful. We see him in various scenes negotiating rock bottom prices. We also see the aftermath and conditions these workers work and live under given these negotiated low manufacturing costs.
The film’s plot centers on McCreadie’s preparations for a 60th birthday party that he’s giving himself in a Greek Beachside villa. We know it is expensive because he’s trying to spend less than £1,000,000 for entertainment. He’s also invited some celebrities, and because many cannot make it, he hires celebrity stand-ins. One funny bit has McCreadie looking at these stand-ins in the makeup room, and when he says, and you’re George Michael, the guy says “yes,” and McCreadie looks at his assistant and says, “well how’s that going to work, George Michael is dead.” They are also building a small version of a coliseum where there will be a gladiator scene with a real lion.
Then there are vital scenes showing McCreadie’s privileged ways by wanting the refugees who are living on a public beach removed because it won’t look good for the guests. There are scenes where a government agency is questioning McCreadie about his businesses, the number of bankruptcies he has gone through, how he has all his assets in offshore accounts and countries so he can live so well. In contrast, others that work for him or his manufacturers suffer.
Then there are the personal relationships. McCreadie’s son Finn (Asa Butterfield) hates him, as revealed, by his open discussion about killing his father. His ex-wife Samantha (Isla Fisher), is still very close with him, and as we discover early in the story, she care-takes much of his offshore money.
Lastly, the revenge component is shared through a couple of characters. All through the film, we track McCreadie’s official biographer Nick (David Mitchell), who is probably weak and influenced to write a positive book, as he is talking with family and party attendees.
One of the key people who is planning and setting up the party for McCreadie is Naomi (Shanina Shaik). We learn of her decades long dislike for McCreadie’s ways because a decision by him, got her mother fired. Naomi’s mother had to find another job and ended up in a factory that burned down where her mother suffocated to death. Naomi has a sincere dislike for McCreadie. Her unattachment from the revenge she gets is a fascinating subject that stayed with me for hours after seeing the film.
Coogan is rather good as this arrogant, self-aggrandizing, prick of a man.
The scene in which he chastises a color decorator in a new store location about the interior color and he holds up a Fuchsia sample is funny and sad. What’s precious about it is that later scene we revisit this store, and nobody wants to shop there because of the color. McCreadie rails at the staff, who pick this color? Fisher is compelling as the ex-wife who lays back and reaps the benefits of her ex-husband's ways. Mitchell is terrific as the hesitant biographer. In the end, his understanding of Naomi’s actions is well done. Shaik was probably the best in this film. Her compassion for the Greek children living on the beach, finding ways to make everything work, and her explanation for pushing the button was sublime. Butterfield was keen as the intimidated son who just wanted to be seen, heard, and respected. Sophie Cookson (as the daughter Lily McCreadie) was great as the daughter trying to live a Kardashian life by having her every moment filmed. The scene where she gives food to the homeless on the beach is so telling. Michael Winterbottom both wrote and directed this film, and I just didn’t think it came together well. The oddly timed switching between different scenes, McCreadie’s early life, the party, and being questioned in front of the government committee were not well placed. It came across as confusing.
Overall: There are good points made by this movie, but the confusing story made it difficult to piece it all together.