‘Dumb Money’ is a smart bet to contend at the Oscars

Paul Sheehan
·2 min read
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Six years after directing Allison Janney to an Oscar-winning performance in “I, Tonya,” Craig Gillespie returns with “Dumb Money,” another serio-comic tale based on a true story that is certain to be another major awards contender. His new Sony Pictures release, which debuted to a raucous reception at TIFF on September 8, recounts the ups and downs of the 2021 short squeeze of Game Stop stock that rattled the financial industry.

Ben Mezrich chronicled this unlikely story in his bestseller “The Antisocial Network,” and Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo have deftly adapted it for the screen. They focus on Keith Gill, the marketing professional who sank his life savings into the stock and then posted about it on Reddit. After his stock tip ignited a movement, Wall Street bankers balked and fought back. 

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Paul Dano, who came so close to an Oscar bid last year for “The Fabelmans,” is getting even better notices for his portrayal of Gill. Owen Gleiberman (Variety) observes that the actor, “playing Keith as a kind of quirky, saintly, dough-faced financial savant, wins you over to his cracked conviction.” And Frank Scheck (Hollywood Reporter) says the film is ” anchored by Dano’s terrific turn as the eccentric, strong-willed Gill, who becomes an unlikely folk hero.”

Gillespie has assembled a stellar supporting cast including: Shailene Woodley as Gill’s wife and Pete Davidson as his slacker brother; America Ferrera and Anthony Ramos as small-time investors making it big; Sebastian Stan as the inventor of a key trading app; and Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen as a trio of financial titans.

A lucky 13 years ago Sony scored a major hit with “The Social Network,” which was adapted from Mezrich’s book “The Accidental Billionaires” about the rise of Facebook. Kirk Baxter won an Oscar for cutting that picture and could well do the same for this. 

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