Film - Greed

Steve Coogan plays the despicable ‘parasite’ of a retail billionaire Richard McCreadie. Best mates with his ex-wife (Isla Fisher) who looks half his age despite their grown-up kids, he still needed to get a younger model.

Very obviously based on Philip Green - complete with parliamentary enquiry - with a hint of an orange Peter Stringfellow, this satire follows a large cast while they pull together a gladiator themed 60th birthday party (lion, sandals, crowns) whilst simultaneously involved in filming a reality tv-show.

Desperate to maintain an image, when Angelina and Ed Sheeran change their RSVPs to ‘maybe’, his staff decide to bring in sleb look-a-likes including one for the departed George Michael. 

We get a little of his school-boy turned bullying entrepreneur back story although the most intriguing narrative is of the young staffer whose mother worked at the very Siri Lankan sweatshop that burnt down and hence she was sent to England. It all comes to a head in the final act although I could not work out why she worked for him.

Greed is entertaining as we laugh out loud at the ludicrousness of it all and yet so sad.

7/10