The Big Short
Director: Adam McKay
Talent: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt
Release Date: 22nd January 2016
Who ever thought the logic and mechanics of short selling stock (that is, betting *against* secured loans) could make for an interesting film? Adam McKay, the director of Anchorman and Talladega Nights, that’s who. The Big Short is no frat pack comedy, however. Based on the book by Michael Lewis, it tells the story of the few men who predicted the global financial collapse of 2008, and were prudent enough to bet on it happening. McKay adopts a meta narrational style, à la Tarantino, or The Wolf of Wall Street, to keep his audience feeling ‘in on the deal’, and for the most part it works, keeping us rooting for Carell, Bale and co., and explaining challenging banking concepts along the way with stand-alone, direct address asides from Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez, etc. The question of what, eventually, is being profited from – that is, total financial collapse – encroaches on our enjoyment only temporarily.
A cleverly told story bolstered by a selection of big actors playing against type.
Words: Oisín Murphy-Hall
