Greed Delivers a Dark Satire Full of Laughs
The line between reality and comedy is sometimes drawn so thinly, sometimes we can't help but wonder if we should laugh or be concerned. It’s why satire is one of the most effective genres when telling a story like writer/director Michael Winterbottom’s GREED, which examines how the better half lives.
Square in the center of GREED’s comedic universe is Sir Richard McCreadie (Steve Coogan), the man who has everything. With his 60th birthday fast approaching, a journalist (David Mitchell) profiling his life and times, and a lot of public pressure coming to bear, it’s not the best time to be throwing the biggest celebration a billionaire could dream of.
And yet, that’s exactly where GREED is headed, as Sir Richard is about to throw a Greek mythology-themed soirée on the island of Mykonos. The only problem is, as time goes on, more of the big ticket celebrities that he’s invited to his birthday start to drop out.
Reteaming once more after the wildly acclaimed films in THE TRIP series, Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan are ready to tear into the world of modern retail and capitalism with their razor-sharp sensibilities. But what’s even better than seeing these two legends reuniting is the fact that they’ve got an amazing ensemble following them into satirical battle.
With a cast that includes Isla Fisher, Sophie Cookson (from the KINGSMAN franchise,) Asa Butterfield and comedy icon Stephen Fry, GREED has assembled a list of talented faces that Sir Richard McCreadie would probably invite to his big shindig. Whether or not they’d show up is another story, perhaps best told through the events of the film itself.
Of course, that line between laughter and concern is definitely going to be crossed more than once in GREED, as the story looks to not only probe into Sir Richard’s public persona, but also into the backstory of how he became a huge name in the retail clothing industry. Who knows what deeds the past hides for this particular man and how they’ll come to the surface as he approaches the sixth decade of his life.
GREED is a cocktail of shock and ha that will be coming to an AMC near you, in limited release starting February 28! So, if you’re interested in seeing the film, be sure to check your local listings, as well as set yourself a reminder to alert you to when tickets go on sale.