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tiff 2012

A scene from Capital.

Back when cinema's New Waves were cresting, Costa-Gavras made a succession of brainy political thrillers – Z, The Confession, State of Siege. Now, as the title hints, he's turned his attention away from totalitarian states to the "dictatorship of the markets," specifically to a French bank teetering on the brink of corruption, its internal policies as ailing as its CEO. His young replacement is immediately pressured by the venal Americans to make a shrewd exchange – essentially, trading in any semblance of ethics or caution for "instant profits and cowboy capitalism." What follows begins at breakneck speed; clearly, Costa-Gavras has lost none of his kinetic pacing or his cerebral way with thrills. Unfortunately, the script later gets corrupted itself by a sexual melodrama that lacks both sense and sultriness. However, the picture manages to regain its balance to deliver a mainly entertaining lecture on the root of all evil. Bottom line: It's no Margin Call, but still worth your investment.

Sept. 10, 3 p.m., Cineplex Yonge & Dundas 9; Sept. 15, 8:30 p.m., ScotiaBank 3.

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