Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Billy Wonka (A) on September 04, 2014 at 23:03:20

'The Jewel' headlines Tony Servillo as the dour but competent chief accountant of an Italian food conglomerate. He knows his job and executes it in a witless and tactless manor. The corporation is family held and all the relatives working as execs feel fully licensed to steel what they can. When the boss's niece (Sarah Felberbaum) shows up and shares his office Servillo is upset. Later the company develops monumental liquidity problems which leads to disaster. This is a well-done film based on a true story. It is very attractive and full of Italian style. Servillo has no problem projecting dour intensity which often leads to seduction. Recommended. Netflix




'Capital' is Costa-Gavras, late-to-the-party swipe at international banking. Phenix Bank of Paris lost it's CEO due to illness and the top officers decided to put the CEO's pet (Gad Elmaleh) in as a dupe to be manipulated by the top American stockholders represented by Gabriel Byrne. Elmaleh accepts and much to everyone's surprise starts acting like a CEO immediately. He is pressured into laying off 10K employees at the behest of Byrne so the stock would rise. The skull duggery continues with a big plot for Elmaleh to push for a buy out of a sick Japanese bank that will tank Phenix stock and enable Byrne and the Americans to buy out Phenix with the artifically cheap shares. There is a degree of tongue and cheek humor, great actors, but no Italian Style. What the French provide are charming, accessible women. Worth a viewing. Netflix.