The Big Short (2015)
Certified: 15
Duration: 130 minutes
Directed by: Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Brad Pitt, Hamish Linklater, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo, Stanley Wong, Byron Mann, Tracy Letts, Karen Gillan
KRS Releasing Ltd
This adaptation of Michael Lewis’s acclaimed 2010 non-fiction book titled The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine is set in 2005 when Michael Burry (Christian Bale), a money manager, has realised that the bundled mortgage bonds, that many deem to be in an extremely healthy state, are not so healthy after all.
Burry is convinced that by 2007, when the new rates will come into force, there is a killing to be made if he “shorts” the market, which is on a high, by placing a creditfinancial swap. This is a sort of insurance on bonds. The banks agree to this as they think that Burry is wasting a billion or so dollars that belong to his investors. But he finds opposition from his senior and his investors to do this.
Word starts going round and banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) tries to get other money managers to place their investors’ money in the credit default swaps he manages. By mistake the information also ends up in the hands of the volatile Mark Baum (Steve Carrell), a hedge fund manager who sees the potential but also the side effects of this situation.
Investors Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Charlie Geller (John Magaro) also hear of the goings on and want a share of the money. So they get their neighbour, retired banker Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), in on the scheme.
The Big Short is a veritable treasure trove for the serious film-goer
The film follows the analysis of the credit default swap system as an investment while investments pile up and the market goes into collapse. Many people lose money while a few others make a huge profit.
The Big Short is a veritable treasure trove for the serious film-goer. It’s very rare that Wall Street subjects taken from real life are depicted so accurately and in at least a minimally understandable manner on film.
Director Adam McKay delivers a sparkling film and one that, despite its subject, never loses its human touch and, most of all, its relevance. This is in itself an additional surprise as McKay had up till now directed only comedies of broad humour that starred Will Ferrell such as Anchorman and Talladega Nights. Here, without Farrell, he makes a leap into another genre with spectacular results.
McKay’s background in comedy comes in handy in the way he explains economic issues to an audience who will not be necessarily versed in such matters. Using the likes of Selena Gomez, Anthony Bourdain and Margot Robbie to explain the processes is priceless. Robbie’s segment as she delivers a lecture on economics while drinking champagne and in an all bubbled-up bath is simply spot on.
The film scintillates with excellent performances from an all-star cast. Gosling has plenty of screen presence, while Carrell also shows how much he needs to be taken seriously in dramatic roles.
In The Big Short, while we see things through Gosling’s eyes, we get to feel the impact of what is happening from Carrell’s point of view. He is the film’s conscience even though he still makes money out of the crazy situation. Bale and Pitt fit into the film without any star status glimmer attached.
Overall, The Big Short is about money and timing, about decisions taken and of how to reap money off the bad decisions of others. It also puts into light how much everything around us that is considered solid is actually very fragile and this in itself is a very scary proposition.