Dumb Money - Schnelles Geld

The film Dumb Money was reasonably decent timepass, although it leans heavily on a particular montage style and patronising approach to tiktok dances. There are some pretty decent performances, particularly Paul Dano, but the film is really dumbed down and treats the audience with kid gloves. I had half expected the film to veer into a legal thriller, but the length was a disappointment and whatever substance the film had was heavily watered down. Given the subject matter I thought a 2 hour runtime would have been an improvement, but instead the film is too short and the story is delivered via montages and doja cat songs.

I guess the filmmakers admired The Big Short, and sought to emulate that film, but in the end they lacked the courage that The Big Short had, to not treat the audience like they were the Dumb Money.

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.

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.

Even with its admirable intentions, in its writing, Dumb Money is, well, dumb. It's incessantly preachy and shallow, clinically moving from plot point to plot point while never examining any of its characters or happenings beneath the surface level.

Granted, it doesn't necessarily need to. But it also doesn't present its scant narrative with enough style to make it compulsively watchable.

Still, I found it impossible to dislike this movie. It tells the populist story that united everyone-right, left, and center-for a brief moment of euphoric social harmony. How can I not get wrapped up in reliving all that?

Most of the cast brings charisma to their characters that was not on the page, and they are what is compelling about this film. That, and, even though the script has a dearth of insight, it's funny. It had loads of fast-paced dry wit that make it tough to not smile throughout.

The performers and the humour really saved this movie, and though I don't think it'll have the impact the filmmakers were hoping for, it's a solidly good time. Just don't take it too seriously.

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.