The Big Short Review

The Big Short is an angry movie, one that directs its rage at the system as it attempts to both educate and entertain you. It’s a very different approach to the topic than the ones taken by films like Margin Call or this year’s 99 Homes, but it’s without a doubt a very interesting one. McKay and cinematographer Barry Ackroyd bring an extremely frenetic style to the film, moving the camera in every direction possible so as to emphasize that Ackroyd learned a thing or two from his work on Paul Greengrass movies. The movie also has a very distinct style, utilizing real-life images and celebrity cameos and fourth wall-breaking techniques in order to keep the jargon manageable for the majority of viewers.

It’s not that it treats the audience members as stupid, though, but let’s be honest: many of them probably are. McKay’s point here is that the system takes advantage of ignorance, feeding off it and growing until it all just collapses at our feet…then grows yet again. The movie is essentially a lecture thrown in a blender with a comedy, and although its style brings diminishing returns, McCay still taps into his undeniable anger and delivers a solid critique of the factors that went into the financial crisis of 2008. He wants us to laugh, but he also wants us to understand.

GRADE: B

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-Sadly, the fantastic cast is so large that most of the actors are underused. Steve Carell ends up being the lead, and he does a good job of conveying the conflict playing out in his character’s head: yes, he’s in it for the money, but there’s also palpable anger at everything around him. Also, I did attend a screening that featured a Q&A with Carell and McKay, and it was decent. I would’ve liked to hear more about the actual topic–a la Spotlight‘s–and the movie’s style rather than, say, fun stories on set. However, Carell made a good point about McKay: if you know him and his work, you aren’t surprised that he made this movie.

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures, The Big Short

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