The films that have emerged over the past few years that tackle the world of high finance have had the nasty smell of the frat house about them. Women have been all but absent, unless you count Margot Robbie's appearance in the bath during The Big Short. Equity attempts to break this glass ceiling by looking at the shady world of stocks and shares through the prism of gender politics.
While this is something that shouldn't be noteworthy, in the current gender battlefield that is raging in film culture, it is genuinely refreshing to watch any film that looks at the female experience that isn't either a romcom or a melodrama. Writer Amy Fox has created a story that is the equal of The Big Short or The Wolf of Wall Street in terms of bringing complicated economic ideas to the screen but takes a different tack to either of those films in its ability to balance the political with the personal.
The film revolves around three central characters; Anna Gunn plays Naomi, an investment banker attempting to broker a huge deal that might save her floundering career. Beneath her is the young and ambitious Erin (played by Sarah Megan Thomas), who finds herself thrown into some ethically troubling decisions in an attempt to climb the ladder. Finally, there is Samantha (Alysia Reiner), an old friend of Naomi's who is now working as an investigator in the area of white collar crime. Against the backdrop of a huge financial deal, all three women struggle with thwarted ambition and moral ambiguity.
Equity is an interesting piece of filmmaking thanks to the smart script and the excellent performances. Women in these industries are often caught between a rock and a hard place – show yourself to be too strong and you are branded difficult and off-putting, while turning on the charm too much can result in not being taken seriously. Naomi struggles with the former, while Erin finds herself on the receiving end of sexual harassment thanks to the latter. Both actors bring their characters fully to life so that we can understand the frustrations that could lead a business person down a morally questionable route.
It's odd to say but character pieces like this are a rarity these days and good ones should be cherished. Well-crafted and excellently played, Equity is a quality production that has a lot to say – albeit in a quiet, measured way.