The Banker Review: Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson's New Drama

The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out Based on the true story of one of the first African-American bankers in America, The Banker is an eye-opening slice of American history that offers an accessible, efficiently made but not necessarily invigorating look at finance, reality, and racial injustice in the U.S. There’s power in the restraint afforded to so many elements of the movie. From the script to the performances, all are engaging and very easy to watch and digest. Anthony Mackie stars as Bernard Garrett; a man determined to make his mark in a world where the color of his skin limits or outright prevents him from achieving his goals. Determined to get into real estate, he teams up with Samuel L. Jackson’s Joe Morris, a successful businessman and somewhat of a character who at first appears to be pretty much the exact opposite of straightlaced Garrett. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/04/apple-tv-the-banker-official-trailer"] They have the money, but they’re also both African-American, so they recruit Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult) to be the face -- the white face -- of the business. While there are social politics at play, and racism is a big part of the story, at no point is it either soapboxed or trivialized – it’s handled matter of factly as a reality that these two men won’t let crush their ambition. The film’s three leading men put in solid performances and have good chemistry with each other. While there are moments of tension and drama, no one overdoes it in their performance and that pays dividends. Credit is also due to Nia Long, who, as Bernard’s wife Eunice, steals many of the scenes she’s in and is a formidable pairing with every single person she performs opposite. She’s the glue that makes this stick together so nicely. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=apple-tv-the-banker-official-photos-anthony-mackie-samuel-l-jackson&captions=true"] While the film avoids grandstanding and trope-laden set-pieces, that also lends it a slight lack of dynamism. Admittedly, there’s a risk that spicing up a story like this might affect the integrity of the narrative and nudge it into a cliché-laden territory. Still, a touch more fire and tension would have been welcome. That also extends to George Nolfi’s competent direction, which is entirely capable but missing the flair seen in some of his other work, particularly the pace and energy. (There are flourishes in the cinematography that elevate the proceedings when the direction feels more conventional.) And although the 120-minute film doesn’t feel labored or unnecessarily long; a reduced running time might have fixed those pacing issues.

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