[rating=10.00]
If you told someone you didn’t really understand what happened with the 2008 housing crisis and economic collapse, no one could really blame you. The whole thing was littered with economic jargon and financial gobbledygook that is, frankly, both incomprehensible and terribly boring to the layman. Part of this, no doubt, lays at the feet of the media, who did such a piss-poor job of explaining the ins and outs of the crisis to the populace that most people shrugged their shoulders and went on about their lives as best they could in the face of a downturn that threatened Great Depression levels of bad news. The truth of the matter is that if someone had explained it, if the media had done their job and explained exactly what was going on and how it happened, there might have been riots in the street. Which still might happen if enough people watch The Big Short.
The Big Short is, to date, the best, most comprehensive, most accessible, and most understandable presentation of what happened to spur the economic collapse that ruined so many lives and threatened to undermine the entire foundation upon which our modern system is based. On top of that, it’s an incredibly captivating and well-made film that, somehow, also manages to be fall out of your chair hysterical. Simply put, it’s one of the best—and most important—films of the year.
That’s never a sentence I expected to write about a movie from Adam McKay. McKay, of course, is a director best known for directing Anchorman, Stepbrothers, and Talladega Nights. While I certainly don’t hate any of those films, it seems terribly unlikely that a director whose built his name and reputation on the antics of Will Ferrell could have or would have ever produced a film of such poignancy and import as The Big Short. And yet here we are.
The movie, based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis (whose work also inspired 2011’s underrated gem, Moneyball), follows the path of several groups of traders who predicted the impending implosion of the housing market and made millions in the process when their warnings fell on deaf, arrogant ears. Christian Bale plays Dr. Michael Burry, a financial savant who first saw the writing on the wall and against all common (at the time) sense, bet against the housing the market, investing over a billion dollars of his hedge fund in an attempt to short the market. His antics catch the attention of Wall Street investor Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) who, after looking into the market himself, sees what Dr. Burry saw and attempts to get in on the same scheme, eventually recruiting rival investor Mark Baum (Steve Carrell) into the investment. Meanwhile, outsiders Charlie Geller (John Margaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock), along with mentor Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt) also stumble upon the scheme and, hoping for a seat at the big kid’s table, make moves of their own. As the crisis begins to develop and things initially don’t go according to plan, Wall Street scheming and manipulation is revealed that threatens to undermine the sanctity of the entire banking system.
McKay’s comedic sensibilities are a welcome addition to this admittedly convoluted tale. While movies like Anchorman are remembered best for their absurdist humor, there’s an underlying foundation of satire that glues the whole enterprise together, and it’s this genius he draws upon here. The Big Short isn’t just a legal thriller or an attempt at explanation, it’s a biting satire that points its finger at us for not being angry and for not getting it as much as it points a finger a Wall Street’s shenanigans. There’s almost a sense of exasperation to the tone of the movie, as if the movie itself can’t fucking believe it has to explain these things to us. And yet it does so in captivating and entertaining ways, as seen in the following clip.
The fourth wall is virtually non-existent, with characters at times looking us directly in the eye to re-explain the exposition that just occurred just to make sure we’re up to speed. At times, the narrator (Gosling’s character) openly enlists celebrities to hold our attention. Don’t understand what we just said? Maybe Margot Robbie in a bubble bath can keep you invested; here’s Selena Gomez at a blackjack table to expand on the previous metaphor. It’s a genius maneuver that not only manages to get the point across, but also feels like a sly jab at us for caring more about what celebrities have to say than we do things of actual meaning.
On top of this, the cast is an absolute delight to watch, with every member dropping the performance of their respective career. Carrell, in particular, is powerfully engrossing as Mark Baum, an amalgam of people in real life but most heavily based on Steve Eisman. He’s a cynical man whose faith in the system is shot to begin with, and makes his bets more or less solely on his belief that the system is corrupt anyway. He seethes with rage even as his investments pay off, recognizing that his payday is merely confirmation that the entire game is rigged and false. Bale, too, gives a riveting performance as Dr. Burry, a complicated genius whose social ignorance prevents any who might be in a position to care from hearing what he has to say.
While it’s likely that you and your family are more excited for Star Wars than you are The Big Short, I implore you to make time in your holiday movie going schedule for this film. This is a movie that everyone should watch and that everyone should learn from. The crisis of 2008 was the result of greed and scheming, with everyone from realtors to hedge fund managers to banking CEOs in on a scheme to build a house of cards whose collapse was inevitable. Ultimately, no one was held accountable because no one truly understood what was happening. It’s a cynical movie, but it’s not one without hope. Despite its tone of desperation and exasperation, the film speaks with the voice of an elder, who sincerely believes that if their wisdom is heeded and learned from we can prevent the same mistakes from happening again. It’s possible that we can do this, but we have to hear the message first. Watching The Big Short is powerful first step on the road to enlightenment, and a fantastic way to hammer the message home.
The Big Short is now playing in theaters everywhere.
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