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99 Homes

Very good, heartbreakingly relevant character study

An unemployed single father (Andrew Garfield) goes to work for the very same reptilian real estate broker (a career-best Michael Shannon) who just a while ago tossed him, his mom (Laura Dern), and his kid out of their family home. The agent takes him under his wing, and soon he’s the one doing the evicting. He starts to carry a gun.

For a film about the financial crisis, this nail-biter plays like a thriller documentary, managing to address the issues while still being entertaining. Rather unsatisfying denouement, but this is a very good, heartbreakingly relevant, rabble-rousing twin character study. Japanese title: Dream Home. (112 min)