$upercapitalist: Film Review

Tossing Hong Kong into the mix does little to enliven high-finance clichés in Simon Yin's annoyingly named $upercapitalist, an ostensible morality tale that might've played off the zeitgeist in any number of ways but instead feels no more fresh than (the original) Wall Street. Box office outlook is dim.

our editor recommends

Paris Cinema Festival to Kick off Friday With Hong Kong Focus

MOViE MOViE Channel Brings Art House and Indie Films to Hong Kong

Derek Ting plays Conner, an Asian-American hedge fund analyst who, despite a strange arrogant streak around his superiors, gets sent to oversee a major deal in Hong Kong. There he meets fratboyish Quentin (Darren Scott), who gives Conner a crash course in the way things work for aspiring HK plutocrats: "We wear the best. We drink the best. We drive the best. When it comes to chicks, we only do the best."

STORY: Paris Cinema Festival to Kick off Friday With Hong Kong Focus

Ting, who also wrote the screenplay, offers no hint of moral uncertainty here, even when Conner inevitably meets a love interest who scolds him with lines such as "actions have consequences, Conner." He comes to life only upon learning of a plan to promote innovation in his company using a social-media-inspired game that might keep locals from losing their jobs. (Facebook being well known for boosting productivity.)

Ho-hum boardroom intrigue follows, with Conner's attempts to do the right thing threatened by a ruthless schemer (Linus Roache) back in the Manhattan office.

Production Company: Random Art Workshop

Cast: Linus Roache, Derek Ting, Darren E. Scott, Kathy Uyen, Kenneth Tsang, Richard Ng, Eugene Kang, Lester Chan

Director: Simon Yin

Screenwriter: Derek Ting

Producers: Diana Footitt, Derek Ting, Joyce Yung

Executive producers: James C. Chie, Sam Kwok, Phillip Yin

Director of photography: Derrick Fong

Production designer: Niquan Riley

Music: Dennis Ting

Costume designer: Molly Maguire

Editor: Victor Pena

No rating, 96 minutes