Greed

Greed (Michael Winterbottom, 2019)

With films such as The Big Short (Adam McKay, 2015) in the recent past capitalism has not had a good rap really. Even going back to It’s A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) and Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) we see that money doesn’t bring that much happiness per se. Here we have Sir Richard McCready, ‘Greedy’ to his friends and enemies alike on the verge of celebrating his 60th birthday on a Greek Island.

McCready, played by the sparkling toothed Steve Coogan, is a clothes retail magnate who built an empire with small beginnings, and grew it with shady deals. Any comparison to any Arcadian is, well you know.

The theme of his 60th birthday party, apart from excess, is Rome and the film Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000)- so he has a gladiatorial arena built on this Greek island. First of all by Bulgarians, and then eventually Syrian refugees.

I’m not sure how many times Steve Coogan and Michael Winterbottom have worked together, but they have a substantial working relationship. You can see the blossoming of it here, Coogan is so comfortable in his role, even in that of such an unlikeable character. It’s all very post modern as well, shifting times and places, going back and forth. It’s all like find the lady I suppose you have to look closely. The film says as much about global economics as it does about this industrialist. He is emblematic of bigger travails. ‘Only connect’, E.M. Forster is referenced as saying at the beginning, but then so to be honest is Chekhov.