Bailout: The Age of Greed

Plot synopsis:
In the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, a portfolio-manager instructs his employees to neglect the best-interest of clients in order to increase company profits.
Meanwhile, Jim Baxford (Dominic Purcell), a former soldier and armored car driver, lives with his wife, Rosie, in New York City. Rosie is in the process of recovering from a near-fatal brain tumor. Their health insurance has reached its limit, and Jim finds that he is unable to afford her treatment. He decides to cash in the pension he earned from serving in the military, but learns that much of it is lost as a result of bad investments on the part of his financial adviser. In addition, he finds himself in a $60,000 lawsuit as a result of bad real-estate investments conducted by his rogue financial adviser.
Jim frequently lunches with a colleague in the armored car business, and two NYPD friends. He borrows $10,000 from the colleague to pay for an attorney to sue his financial adviser, and arranges a meeting with an assistant district attorney to discuss wrongdoings on the part of his financial advisers. However, the attorney he hired claims that he is unable to do anything and the assistant district attorney is unwilling to meet with him. Jim becomes frustrated at the loss of his money and his inability to pay for his wife's treatment and their mortgage. Because of his financial situation, his employer reluctantly fires him, as the company is not willing to trust him with large sums of money.
Rosie feels guilty for the financial strain that her illness has put on Jim and, unable to cope, commits suicide. Jim blames Wall Street financiers for ruining his life. Seeking vengeance, he purchases various firearms and grenades from an arms dealer, and begins a one-man army shooting spree on the Wall Street bosses that lost his money and contributed to the death of his wife. One by one, he kills those that have wronged him. Meeting with his friends at lunch, Jim casually admits to them that he is the Wall Street murderer. The three laugh it off, convinced he's joking.
The climax of the film has Jim staging a one-man assault and infiltration of a high-rise office building to confront and kill Jeremy Stancroft, a ruthless and greedy banker who is indirectly responsible for Jim's financial situation. Sitting at Jeremy's desk, Jim tells Jeremy why he is targeting him, of his corruption and asks why he should let Jeremy live. Jeremy defends his actions, saying that the famous rich people of history didn't get rich by honest work and that capitalism is a survival of the fittest society, where the "strong survive and the weak die off". Jim shows him a picture of his wife and tells Jeremy he's the reason his wife is dead. Shortly as SWAT begins to approach the office, Jim puts the gun on the table and counts to three. Jeremy grabs the gun when Jim gets to two, bragging about how he "won". Jim accuses him of cheating. Not caring, Jeremy pulls the trigger, only to realize that the gun is empty, for Jim cheated too. Just then, SWAT smashes the window and shoots Jeremy dead. Jim pretends to be an innocent wounded victim, having been shot in the arm by a security guard earlier, and is escorted away by SWAT, who is convinced Stancroft was the perpetrator.
A few minutes later, Jim stands in the lobby of the office building. He watches emergency personnel come and go, having just been treated for the gunshot wound to his arm. He is recognized there by his NYPD lunchmates, who had been called to the scene. Without a word, Jim is led out of the building by his friend to the street, to freedom. The film ends with Jim walking away, voicing over that he intends to continue his killing spree of white-collar businessmen elsewhere.

Tags: revenge, murder, violence

Review:
I don't understand why people think Dominic Purcell is a bad actor, I really think he is one of the few action stars who can be tough yet full of emotions at the same time.While there were no major flaws in acting, the plot does suffer some major setbacks.
Overall, the story might be a bit too straightforward to some people and the ending twist which may or may not fit everyone's taste, the great acting should keep you entertained throughout.Quick note, if you are watching it with a kid, please make sure to explain the role of violence and the importance of consequence and blah blah blah.
Uwe Boll is known as one of the worst directors ever known to be in the film industry for making movies for big budgets and making absolutely nothing back from them.hes hated by all the directors in Hollywood and is mocked by people all over the world.his last few movies have been universally panned by critics all of them adapted from popular video games.after owners of well known game metal gear solid refused to sell the rights to Uwe Boll because his history as a director.i think he finally woke up and smelled the smoke because his latest film Assault on wall street is actually good.The film stars Dominic Purcell and Erin Karpluk .the film starts as Jim a security guard for an armored truck who is struggling to pay for his ill wife who is recovering from cancer and Jim must find ways to pay for his wife's treatment after his disastrous investment his stockbroker advised him to make.he soon looses everything he has and decides to take extreme measures to get revenge on the rich and greedy people who got him into the situation hes in.although the film starts off slow it somehow manages to keep you interested and you sympathize with Jim and actually start to root for him even though you know what hes doing is wrong.it picks up near the end and to be honest it impressed me even though Uwe Boll has gone really dark for this one.with a A+ performance by Dominic Purcell and Erin Karplukthis is a film Uwe Boll can actually be proud of and not have to worry about being universally panned.many people will watch this movie and give it a bad review just because of Uwe Boll past and because they quite frankly don't like him or his methods but thats not what film is about.the film is a huge improvement over his previous films and all i can say is Uwe Boll keep it up stay away from the video game adapt ions and concentrate on your own work.now I'm not saying this film is amazing but it is a damn good film.6.5/10.
However, remember that many middle or even high level employees and owners of Wall Street have no idea they work for a corrupt system.I believe that the acting and atmosphere were solid, especially for a low budget movie.
However they turn out to be bad and not worth anything.A large portion of the film is drama with good solid acting, Dominic Purcell's character is like a spring that gets coiled back by bad life events "which are no fault of his own" before being unleashed in a calculated methodical attack on the money/con men of Wall Street.
Overall i think Uwe Boll has actually broke his streak of bad movies and delivered a decent movies, so don't write him off just yet and give this a watch.
So Uwe. This was different.Good actors, great acting, great direction, simple enough story that wont bore you and funny ending guaranteed.Dominic Purcell was of course other reason to watch this one, never seen anything really stupid from him as an actor.Glad that I saw this, recommended if you want to have some not too long movie for night, little drama action and comedy.7/10.
No pun intended in the title there but seriously, Dominic Purcell really attend acting school?I'm no fan of Uwe Boll either so I found myself questioning why I was even watching this - but I did sit through it all; marvelling at the waste of respectable talent (John Heard, Keith David, even Michael Pare) while Dominic Purcell mumbles his way through banal dialogue and predictable - even poorly paced plot with predictable outcomes.A better director (Boll's screenplay has the right idea) and a believable star could have made this a half-decent film with a powerful message.As it is, Purcell just menaces his way from shot to shot and delivers a cringe worthy performance that is so bad it makes Steven Segal look like a classically trained Shakespearean player.
It's Not an Action Movie, It's a Revenge Movie, and a Very Good One. I like Uwe Boll's films.
The nightmare this movie portrays is current reality, and Uwe goes to great pains detailing exactly why the principal character takes the actions he does.It's a blistering critique of capitalism gone wrong.
It's also a really great movie.Dominic Purcell turns in an outstanding performance - I guess there's no chance he'll be nominated for an Oscar for this, which is a shame as I've seen Jack Nicholson fart and get nominated.Edward Furlong is also superb.The cinematography is great, I'm personally not a fan of the handycam but that's just a preference.The script is excellent, performances credible throughout, great direction and a well above average score.This is still a low budget movie by Hollywood standards, so don't expect King Lear in 3D but it's highly effective.Well done Uwe!
There is one central question asked in this film: Why are/have there not been more people supporting Occupy Wall Street or at least their message?And here's what i guess why: A lot of you still believe in the so called 'american dream', where everybody could become everything if he only would work hard enough.
And i can only give it a 3 out of 10, because of the quality images and the acting...If they had made a C list director like Lloyd Kauffmann direct this, it would have been 10 times better...Uwe, when are you going to learn to make good movies?.
I really know little about this whole Uwe Boll business, I watch movies, and if they're good, thats all that matters.
The actions of Jim to right his wrongs are somewhat believable for a Hollywood action movie knowing what he goes through has already happened to tens of thousands of people like him in real life.
This is why I give this B title such a high review, Unlike so many action movies where the good guy takes revenge on the the villains, this one probably is more than realistic than most and likely hits home to many hard working Americans who watched their 401ks disappear and homes get foreclosed on in recent years while feeling helpless about not being able to stop what the bankers, brokers , hedge fund managers and the money lords in general did to the worldwide economy out of pure and simple greed.
Definitely worth a watch if you like a good action movie and want to root for the hero!.
Acting, drama, and the most kick ass action scene in a movie - I dare say - ever, along with the non-cliché-ness that is unmatched, makes for a overall satisfying viewing experience.Of course several of the plot twists were predictable, as well as the re-hashing of old jokes was a bit annoying, but it makes up for it by bringing us a RELEVANT sequel to Rampage, and if you haven't seen Rampage then shame on you, it's a brilliant film.As for the politics, I personally couldn't care less but I imagine it'd be relatively well researched, anyway that's probably not the point of Assault on Wall Street.The point is that unlike stock brokers and Hollywood, this is a 100% no bullsh*t enjoyable film that (I think?) doesn't pretend to be too serious.WATCH THIS, and be happy that there is still some good alternatives to traditional Hollywood sh*t.
For it is a combination of all the previously mentioned films in one film plus more.The reality of how the financial markets affect everyday people, the lack of support from the government, all the hard work one person can do for their country, family and boss just to have it all totally disregarded, was a real eye opener for me.Even though this film is not based on a true story, after seeing it, I felt that the troubles experienced could be real for many people.The ending was great, it left plenty of room for a sequel.
Dominic Purcell and Erin Karpluk deliver performances that belong in a better movie.The idea that Wall Street engaged in criminal activity and was bailed by the Government is not new.
No. No film is...even the best have flaws.This has a solid story and great actors.Good camerawork, great story, great actors and a great director to sum it all up.This supercedes so many Hollywood blockbusters in so many ways.So many times overlooked as somebody who made a few crappy films which didn't get mass theatrical release, sadly Uwe has stopped making movies - when his movies - given the consideration of all things are actually pretty decent.I find many to be just exceptional.Bailout: Age Of Greed/Assault On Wall Street
Some little thing that made his bad films special...some line, some effect, some special camera work.They didn't have all be awesome, but the were awesome enough - even Seed.Assault On Wall Street with it's approach was just wicked - and all those who posted a 1 or 2 are just idiots - because you know as well as I do - that there are so, so, so many movies out there which aren't even as close to good as anything that Uwe's worst movies are.Uwe Boll rocks - and if he continued making more movies - you would know why.I would rather watch an Owe Boll movie any day then another Transformer or Superman, Batman, Ironman, Thor, Captain America.
It annoys me to no end when a movie starts off with a horribly skewed and incorrect premise.The overview in the beginning of the movie starts talking about the housing market loan "crisis." The only problem is that the director makes it sound like the situation was solely caused by "greedy bankers." That's nice, but it's completely false.
This is the reality of big government and regulation that liberals nor conservatives will tell you about.The only redeeming part of this movie is watching someone enact justice on Wall Street, but he forgot to head to Washington afterwards and enact justice on the people that started it all..
But they are so rich that they are gods and nobody knows.It is a pity that there are not thousands of people like in the movie, which instead of bawling, to go into the streets to throw rocks after the police, who did nothing, s' attack the real problem: the greedy fools who never have enough money and are desperate to get more done.
I wished I could remain speechless...This picture touches lot of people being scummed from financial systems anywhere in the world.It is one out of millions daily stories of a couple trying to do their best in order to keep up with their lives in-spite all obstacles that have arise and when the earth leaves under their feet...?!The scenario of Boll brings messages to all parts of society involved in this movie.The acting of Purcell, a huge guy that glows security, reflects the every women desire of how their spouse should be.
Great acting in an emotion scenario for a guy we aren't use to watch in such roles.The manly dealing with hard time situations in life is indicated by the silent scenes of Purcell that any man may see himself when such times come.
The main characters are lacking in intelligence in a way that grates.Script where is matters is diabolical, action is not believable, the directing sucked bad.Watching so of the assault, it's like watching someone shoot the ducks at a fairground stall, except most directors could make that more entertaining.Wall street boss's script is completely wrong.
And when he's finally pushed to the edge, you understand.This movie isn't a masterpiece or anything, but if you want to see Uwe Boll direct a fairly decent drama/social commentary, I highly recommend it..
These are real horrors that beset people everyday.Watching how easily a good man can spiral into debt and lose everything through no fault of his own is chilling and Boll puts this across perfectly in this film.
This movie is great if you believe in financial manipulation and economic crisis.Better not watch it if you're a lawyer or a banker.It will hurt your feelings.If not, this movie is a great interpretation of what happened during the economic crisis few years ago.This is how it should have ended.Because yes, a bank's only goal is to suck the nation's blood for itself.Watch this film if you like fights for the truth..
"The real criminals are downtown on Wall Street wearing suits that cost more then any of us make in a year and they steal more money the anyone on Rikers Island ever dreamed of." Jim Baxford (Purcell) is a hard working man with a very sick wife.
"The real criminals are downtown on Wall Street wearing suits that cost more then any of us make in a year and they steal more money the anyone on Rikers Island ever dreamed of." Jim Baxford (Purcell) is a hard working man with a very sick wife.
I guess Boll had a lot more anger in him than I originally thought, because Assault on Wall Street sees the film-maker once again venting his spleen via his art, the target this time being the greedy bankers of Wall Street and capitalism in general.Dominic Purcell plays hard-working security guard Jim Baxford, who must be one of the unluckiest characters in the history of film: his wife is receiving expensive treatment for a brain tumour, his insurance policy refuses to cover the cost, his savings turn out to be worthless thanks to some irresponsible trading by his brokers, he loses his job, his wife—consumed by guilt—commits suicide, and then he's evicted from his home.
My, my, my, Uwe Boll, you have come a long way!I remember the times of 'House of the Dead' and 'Alone in the Dark', movies that by all logic, should have been awesome, but instead was awful.
A great cast doing a good job.I like that Uwe Boll dares to be mad on the money swindlers on Wall Street.
No spoilers here, but if you want some good acting, logical plot development and stimulating action this movie will probably lose your interest about 40 minutes in, if that long.
The lead character was cast, almost to perfection, while at the same time, you have a relatively good story to build upon, yet the film goes nowhere!
***SPOILERS*** The movie gets the "Death Wish" treatment when down and out and on the balls of his a** laid off security guard Jim Baxford, Dominic Purcell, goes postal when his entire world fell apart due to the criminality of the Wall Street bankers and stock brokers that he put his trust and life saving into.
Now with his wife Rosie's, Erin Karpluk,health insurance not covering her medical expenses and facing a long and painful death she offs-or kills-herself in order to prevent her from any farther suffering.Jim now having nothing to lose, he already lost everything, plans to do in those who screwed him out of his life savings his job his wife and home and is determined to get even by staging a kamikaze style assault on those in Wall Street who destroyed, by him believing in them, everything that he held near and dear to him.
For real, not only the script is well developed, the characters plays their roles very naturally, Dominic Purcell shines in this one.A guy fighting with the system that robs him all his money and then some more decides to go rampant to wall street, that's pretty much the whole idea, but wait, what really does make this movie work is how well this "descent to madness" comes to life, all the little things that begins to break our character in ways very few people will be able to handle.Plus, the movie is really crude and direct for it's depiction of an evil wall street who really does not care about people anymore.
I could even call this movie informative, since the story, aside from being a fantasy it is actually quite real and is something America is living day by day as time goes on.No Hollywood will ever allow such a clear depiction of the evil system it is and the movie although a little preachy sometimes, never looses it's mark, allowing us to enjoy the whole process from a good citizen to an avenger.Uwe Boll managed to made a good movie and that in itself is quite an achievement because its incredible emotional and it is very delicate handling it's characters, we started sympathizing with this guy and we really stand against what it's being done to him, this is something that only occurs when the director manage to deliver a well developed characters to the movie.Please, go see it, specially if you're tired of all the Hollywood dumb action movies lately.The movie does not only rise it's quality on the final act, it ends with a bang, an awesome ending.
Some may say its bad acting, and in an Uwe Boll movie maybe they're right, but I feel its a strong, nuanced performance that fits perfectly with the tone of the film.The supporting cast all do a great job as well.