Review of 99 Homes (2015) by Quincytheodore — 02 Nov 2015

An engaging drama built on great acting and modestly identifiable characters.

Moving away from home can be a daunting experience, being evicted from your home is downright horrendous. The movie tells a story of losing a fundamental need of shelter with amazing acting prowess, not only from the two leads Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon, but also from the entire supporting role. It's a heavily emotional and adequately realistic story for any audience to invest on.

Dennis (Andre Garfield) is a single father who has been struggling economically. Unfortunately for him, the bank seizes the home right away. Rick Carver (Michael Shannon) is the real estate agent who bears the bad news, often ambitious and greedy, he shows little sympathy to the matter. However, in an odd twist of fate, Dennis finds himself working for Rick to get his home back.

Michael Shannon is one of the most reliable actors today. He can perform in big or low budget movies alike, from General Zod to a simple father, and still able to pull off intricate performance. He's very calculated here, an intriguing mix of antagonist and mentor. Meanwhile Andrew Garfield as Dennis showcases a weighty responsibility in such youthful character. The motivation is easily relatable and it's more than passing judgment about people or a certain situation.

This is also one of the few movies that almost everyone looks believable. There are a few extras that only appear for a couple of scenes and they still encapsulate the pertaining sad or angry sentiment. Granted, it has a few awkward developments towards the end that seem too coincidental or a bit far fetch considering it has moved in realistic fashion up to that point, although these are perfectly understandable to push the pace.

99 Homes is an engaging story built on great acting and modestly identifiable characters. The way it hits close to home makes it a definite recommendation for everyone.