THE BIG STORY
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall, Hamish Linklater, Jeremy Strong, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock
Synopsis: Four denizens of 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
I knew nothing of the world of high-finance, or really anything about the collapse of the US economy except that it happened and it was bad and then the whole world economy followed. I am fortunate enough to live in Australia and we weren't hit too bad (at least I wasn't I don't think, what do I know?). I knew nothing much it except who was in it, and believe me when I say that when I hear the words Ryan Gosling, I'm in. Don't really care what the movie is, don't really care who else is in it, Ryan Gosling = I'm going. The rest of the cast line up was actually pretty enticing as well, Brad Pitt (hello), Christian Bale and Steve Carell, I was enticed.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Out of the 4 films I saw last week, this was probably my favourite. Ok it was equal first with THE HATEFUL EIGHT. It was sharp, witty, and downright hilarious. The narrative was spectacular, and I really loved the way it cut between the story and the explanation of what was happening. I particularly enjoyed the cuts to celebs explaining for us plebs some seemingly important details about finance, like Margot Robbie in a bubble bath talking about something that I can no longer remember, but it sure was handy to know it at the time.
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph have done a marvellous job of adapting the book it's based on, although I would imagine that it is quite a loose interpretation. The story bustles along, and it does not feel at all like it runs for the 2 hours and 10 minutes that it does run for. I laughed a lot in the film and I also learned a great deal. The characters in this film are charismatic, fascinating and funny, and you root for them even though you know they are about to get rich beyond your wildest imagination while a whole bunch of other people suffer. That part really sucks, probably not for them, I mean we're talking about besquillions of dollars here people, but it sure did suck for the moron bankers who were duping the American people, and for all the people who lost their homes - mostly for those guys, because no one likes the fat greedy bankers who ruined it for everyone.
The dude is telling the other dudes how they can get rich by betting against the banks
Image via Paramount Pictures
A scientist Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale) finds a fault in the housing system and decides to bet big against the banks hoping that they're too stupid or greedy to realise that everything they built was going to collapse, some banker (Ryan Gosling - hello) hears about it and realises that if he can get in on the action he can become filthy rich. He tells some other dude (Steve Carrel) and convinces him to get in on the action which would in turn make them both filthy rich. All the while two young upstarts hear about what's going on, investigate it and work out that it's true and they too try to get in on the action. Unfortunately for them, they're not already rich enough and they don't have enough sway, so they get in touch with an old friend (Brad Pitt) who had given up on the world of investment banking many years ago because it was so corrupt and evil.
As the story goes, time and time again the banks won, revealing layer upon layer of corrupt-ness and dirty lying cheating bastards. Becoming more and more depressing for me, knowing that such greedy asshats are in the world and that they were absolutely getting away with it because money. Vomit-worthy. But eventually the whole nasty web unravelled and they good guys (I use that term loosely because I don't actually think they're really good guys) won and got their money in the end. What made me really mad was that none of the asshat, evil, douchecanoe bankers got into trouble. How screwed up is that? Clearly not surprising, but certainly screwed up.
Christian Bale is Dr. Michael Burry
Ryan Gosling is Jared Vennett banker extraordinaire
Steve Carell is Mark Baum
Brad Pitt is Ben Rickert
Images via Paramount Pictures
THE BIG SHORT is a brilliantly made piece of cinema, and I really think you should go out and spend the 20-something dollars on a ticket for it. It's my top pick for January so far, in fact I liked it so much, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go and see it a second time. So go on, do yourself a favour, go and see THE BIG SHORT in the lead up to this year's Academy Awards so you can make an informed judgement.
Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell
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