There are movies that you watch and they tend to resonate with you or leave you with powerful and important lessons. Movies are reflections of some realities, especially when adapted from real-life stories. I've mentioned before how movies based on real-life stories have my interest because of the lessons and information therein, beyond just entertainment.
The Banker is a drama that stars a wonderful cast of Anthony Mackie as Bernard Garrett, Nicholas Hoult as Matt Steiner, Nia Long as Eunice Garrett, Jessie T. Usher as Tony Jackson, and Samuel L. Jackson as Joe Morris. The film was directed, co-written and produced by George Nolfi. Being a real-life story, what made it noteworthy to be filmed and produced into this movie?
Set in the 1960s, the movie follows Joe Morris (Jackson) and Bernard Garrett (Mackie), two black entrepreneurs standing against racism to build a real estate and banking empire, becoming two of the first African-American bankers in the United States. What was very fascinating was how they managed to pull through and achieve this feat, amidst the setbacks against them.
The story saw Bernard move to Los Angeles with his wife and son to get into real estate but encounter racism that prevented him. He didn't give up. He finally got to buy a building from Mr. Barker and fixed it with his cousin, Tony Jackson, and Matt Steiner. Barker later partnered with Bernard, buying and fixing up buildings for their real estate investments. It went well, with Barker being the face of the partnership until he died and his wife wouldn't work with a black man. So it collapsed.
That would have been some lesson already if the story ended there. But this is where it got more interesting and then intriguing. Bernard went on to partner with Joe Morris, a black and wealthy club owner, whom Bernard convinced to be his co-investor, after getting connected to him through his wife Eunice. Being blacks facing racism with limited opportunities and privileges, they set up a plan and executed it well, which made this the story it is today.
They employed the help of Matt Steiner, who was a white man. Training him in the deals, skills and arithmetic of real estate investment, he became their face. Through him, they secured several properties in Los Angeles and became very successful in real estate. Upon Bernard's persuasion, they went back to his hometown of Texas, where they bought a local bank to be able to give loans to the black people who were excluded due to racist practices.
Well, you can be sure that things wouldn't continue going smoothly. They later faced a major issue that threatened their investment. The movie was an interesting and inspiring one. Not just that, but a reflection of society and some of its inhumane practices. This is why I always value movies based on real-life stories. They tell things we might never have known which tends to resonate and inspire more with their lessons because they're real-life stories.
I'd say that the most notable and profound lesson was the tenacity, resilience, dedication, confidence and wit of Bernard and Joe. It showed that while you can be handicapped by systems that threaten your success, you have your mind and brain to find your way around. And not everything calls for force. Sometimes, you just need some wits and grit. Bernard and Joe were reflections of that, amidst the problematic systemic racism that was reflected.
The actors delivered well in their performances. I think Anthony Mackie was fitting for this role. It was there in his words and demeanour. Samuel Jackson also played his character well as you might expect. The setting of the movie was well carried and depicted. The cinematography lighting and colour grading give that feeling of the setting. It was a good production effort. The Banker offers some inspiring lessons and thoughtful considerations. It's certainly a good watch.
Thank you for reading!
Rating: 85/100
