99 Homes 2014

     The setting of this film is Orlando Florida.  Dennis Nash lives with his mother and his nine-year old son in their family home.  He is three months behind on his house payments but the judge said they have 30 days to clear this up.  The family is very surprised when the sheriff’s department and Rick Carver show up to evict them from their home.  They have two minutes to pack up personnel items and then all their possessions are placed on the front lawn.  They have 24 hours to remove their goods or they will be available to the neighbors for the taking.  The family moves into a shabby and possibly dangerous motel.  Rick Carver is a real estate broker with a gun and a charming personality.  He offers Nash cash to come to work with him.  What choices does Nash have, he can’t seem to get another job and he needs to provide for his family.  Essentially, he’s made a deal with the devil!!

     The real story is this eviction process happened to a lot of people because of the housing crisis in 2008, the economic crash and crooked lending practices.  The bank told you one thing and the judge told you another.  It all ended up with you losing your home and possessions.  Carver carries a gun because a lot of homeowners would rather shoot him than leave their homes.  It’s usually safe to expect Michael Shannon to be the BAD guy!!  3* (This movie is OK)

112 min, Drama directed by Ramin Bahrani with Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Noah Lomax, Doug Griffin, Randy Austin.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 92% critic 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Amazon 4.0* out of 5* with 636 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana.  In some documentaries about this subject on television, the homeowners were given one hour to get their things from their home.