In the pursuit of wealth, people often do not think about asking themselves: “Why did I achieve this?” Capital accumulation becomes an end in itself. We’re all working to get our next paycheck, buy a car, buy a house, so it’s no surprise that cinema has capitalized on this drama by creating countless movies about making money. And in our world there are almost no people who are not involved in this drama. What can we learn from the experiences of others?
Devils (2020)
The world of investment banking is such a toxic environment that it is inconceivable that anyone could create a series that paints it in a positive light, let alone ask for sympathy. The series takes place in London during the European crisis. “The Devils” follows the CEO of a major American bank (Patrick Dempsey) as he greets a ruthless Italian merchant (Alessandro Borghi). When the Italian finds himself embroiled in a global financial war, he will be at a crossroads between an alliance with his mentor or a fight against him.
Il capitale umano (2013)
A few days before Christmas, a luxury SUV hits a cyclist in the middle of the night. This accident changes the fate of the families of two people involved in the accident: millionaire Giovanni Bernaschi (Fabrizio Gifuni), a large financial speculator, and Dino Ossola (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), an ambitious real estate agent whose company has gone bankrupt. With wealth and family reputation at stake, opportunism becomes their only viable method of flawless survival.
Molly’s Game (2017)
The American drama tells the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a world-class skier who became a millionaire before she turned 21. After missing the Olympics, Molly moved to Los Angeles, where she even worked as a waitress. Thanks to her intelligence and business skills, the young woman eventually made millions of dollars running poker games before the FBI got to her.
All the Money in the World (2017)
Based on true events, the film tells the story of a mother named Gail (Michelle Williams) who must fight to save her child who is kidnapped by a criminal organization in Italy. His grandfather, the richest man of his time, Jean Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), also became famous as an unimaginable miser, refusing to pay a ransom for his grandson. The entire operation to save her son fell on the shoulders of Gail and the billionaire’s security officer.
Gold (2016)
Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is a down-on-his-luck businessman turned modern-day explorer desperate for financial success. In a final effort, Wells teams up with fellow hapless geologist Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez) to carry out a plan as dubious as it is grandiose: to find gold deep in the jungles of Indonesia. In addition to a treasure worth several billion dollars, the couple also finds problems that always accompany big money.
