This biopic tells the tale of two African-American men who helped dismantle Los Angeles' housing segregation during the 1950s and went on to invest money in the Texan black-owned businesses that previously weren't able to secure a loan due to systematic racism. To achieve this, the pair enlist the help of a white man and teach him how to pass as a rich entrepreneur in order to do business with racist property owners. Though 'The Banker (2020)' is well-made on all fronts, the piece is pretty much standard biopic fare. Having said that, it's also consistently interesting and enjoyable. It has a lot to cover but it moves at a quick pace, leaving little room for boredom. In fact, it often brushes over large chunks of time that feel like they ought to have been explored more thoroughly. Similarly, the movie always seems somewhat surface level; it doesn't dig into its underlying issues as deeply as it could. However, it does a good job of getting you to care about its characters and their big-money business by making a point of portraying it as pseudo social-activism. Even if the audience can't relate to the large amount of money coming to our characters, they can relate to the same characters' struggles against an unfair system. The flick's most straightforwardly entertaining stuff comes during its almost heist-like undercover segments, during which the white frontman learns to (and subsequently does) convincingly con his counterparts. It is a little strange that a story centred on the black experience of racism spends so much time with a white lead, but it's a necessary part of the story and doesn't feel ill-intentioned at all. In general, the movie is well-meaning and well-executed. It's typically an entertaining experience, even if it is somewhat flat overall. 7/10
Review of The Banker
