The Big Short - movie review

The Big Short

Plot: Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.
Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling
Director: Adam McKay
Rating: 15
Runtime: 2hrs 10 mins
Release Date: Friday 22nd January 2016

Who knew Adam McKay had this up his sleeve? The comedic mastermind behind hits such as Anchorman and The Other Guys now steps out of his comfort zone and presents a horrifying story of when the American housing market collapsed. It's clear that this is a passion project for McKay and a word of warning for those who are looking to watch this; The Big Short is by no means a comedy. There are humorous moments but strictly speaking, this is a eccentric drama.

Known for managing to wrangle a superb cast for his features, McKay does not disappoint here. First, we are introduced to Christian Bale portraying the socially awkward, bare footed, ball bouncing, heavy metal enthusiast, glass eye wielding Michael Burry. With Burry being the first person to realise that the housing market will crumble, Bale gives one of the strongest performances of his entire career among roles such as Patrick Bateman from American Psycho and of course, Batman. He takes us on a journey from this character discovering this impending disaster and then the ups and downs as the economy falls into ruins. But it is Steve Carell that has the best performance. Here, he proves that his groundbreaking dramatic turn in Foxcatcher was no fluke. He begins as not the most likeable of characters but as the story progresses, this anger that Carell holds transforms into desperation as he knows the detrimental outcome that will implode at any moment. Carell's raw emotion is conveyed in his depiction of Mark Baum and apart from a clearly fake wig, he is no longer just Brick Tamland or the 40 Year Old Virgin. McKay doesn't stop there though with his star studded cast by including Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt in smaller supporting roles, in Pitt's case, more of an extended cameo. Gosling acts as a Gordon Gecko/Jordan Belfort crossover but he is also a direct contact to the audience. He narrates the developing story but his performance is never subdued. He's more of the comedic relief which he succeeds in but definitely uses his dramatic chops when needed. Pitt plays an odd character who used to be a trader but after recent developments involving the NSA, now believes in various conspiracies. The limited screen time he was featured in was entertaining and his subtle and understated representation of Ben Rickert was a delight to watch. As far as the main cast in concerned, that's about it. But some actors that aren't heavily advertised that had a profound effect upon the movies include; Rafe Spall, Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Strong. All three of these actors aren't the most well known in their profession, but their work here elevates them to a new level and I can only hope that they will get recognised from this.

As I've mentioned before, it is clear that McKay has a deeply personal viewpoint in regards to this whole series of events. The screenplay that he and Charles Randolph construct is fascinating to watch. Many will compare this to recent hit, The Wolf Of Wall Street. In my opinion, apart from both being based on a true story, and sharing the location of Wall Street, they aren't that similar. The Big Short acts more of an educational piece which is by no means a negative in this instance. McKay does not hold back in telling the story making for a shocking ordeal. There is never a moment where things seem sugar-coated and thanks to McKay's fast paced direction, I was never bored. Consistency is one of the strongest qualities about this film. His viewpoint never seemed contrived and I was always sure of what was roughly happening onscreen. However, I do think that because of his profound connection to this true story, McKay does go overboard with his direction at points making for a viewing experience that may seem jarring. The way in which he demonstrates banking terms are undoubtedly creative but I found them to be more style over substance leaving me still confused about how these circumstances led to a worldwide catastrophe. The information provided fires at you like a machine gun. Make sure you go to the toilet beforehand because if you leave halfway through, you will be lost entirely. What I like about this fast paced detail is the significance of how McKay is treating his audience. He is not regarding them as idiots nor as economic geniuses. Because of the complex dialogue, it may put some off but if it can hook you, then you are in for one hell of a ride.

What will be the biggest talking point of The Big Short is the editing. This film has some of the most manic and crazy editing I've ever seen. It is by no means simple and easy to watch. Rapid movements of the camera and moments of breaking the fourth wall present a documentary like feel to this movie. Because of this, it reinforces McKay's hope to convince us of this true and harrowing tale. Speaking of breaking the fourth wall, the inclusion of this Brechtian tactic adds to a compelling watch. The care that McKay provides the audience with is a welcome relief. Most of the audience will not understand terminology such as CDOs or subprime mortgages. To convey this important information to us in a simple form, McKay implements either Gosling or some other character to talk directly to the camera giving a brief description of what it all means or in a few instances, a celebrity cameo breaking it down purely so we can understand it. I thought Margot Robbie having a bath couldn't have been more entertaining but McKay somehow found a way. Whilst it may seem that the editing was a masterpiece, I found it to be too much at times. Yes it was impressive but many of the information presented by either Bale, Carell, Gosling or Pitt still went over my head. I left knowing much more about the incident but not as much as I had hoped.

I'm very glad that this story has been told and presented in such a way that isn't too confusing. McKay clearly demonstrates that his work isn't just limited to comedy and the performances are stellar around the board. It may not be the most widely accepted of films but it is one that needs to be seen if those events interest you in any way.

My Verdict: 7/10

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