THE BET
Director: Mark Lee Stars: Matthew Newton, Aden Young, Sybilla Budd, Roy Billing, Tim Richards
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
With its contemporary setting in Sydney amongst the money movers and shakers, this is a film with an interest especially for those who share the same age and preoccupations as the central characters: those in their 20s and 30s. Older audiences may find the film a reminder of the past, successes and/or failures with, maybe, something of regret that people have to go through crises, personal, occupational, financial and moral – and fail.
Aden Young plays a wealthy executive who challenges a colleague and sometime friend (though his callous self-interest and disregard of others really means that friendship is not his strong point) to a bet about who can make the most money in 90 days. Matthew Newton plays the friend and the focus is principally on him and what he does and does not do – and what motivates him. It is a kind of junior Wall Street, Sydney style.
The narrative of the film highlights the days passing. Newton is supremely self-confident, moves with conscious ease among his peers, always veering towards the arrogant. He has a more ‘humble’ background than others and basks in his social opportunities, parties, golf, clubs. He enters into a relationship with an enterprising lawyer (Sybilla Budd).
He is frequently offered the opportunity to drop out of the contract, but this seems to make him more daring. Needless to say, he becomes entangled with financial complications, possibilities for insider trading, some industrial and legal espionage, led on by associates and their ambiguous friendship, until…
Newton is bright-eyed and hopeful, a stock trading enthusiast. Young is at times amiable, at times sinister. Roy Billing has a good role as Newton’s father, a reminder of reality in a too highly speculative world.
The film was directed by Mark Lee, best known for his role in Gallipoli.