The Big Short
Director: Adam McKay / Screenplay: Adam McKay, Charles Randolph / Release date: 22 January 2016
Actors: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling / Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama ‧ 2h 10m
On the first watch The Big Short makes for a good impression.
With a second watch, in the age of gaseous hair mounds, the film’s quite prescient.
President Fart
Making a film about the boring ol’ financial crisis is a potentially foolish endeavour, as we all have attention spans of spanners. No-one says the word spanners anymore. People used to say “that’s blokes a spanner”. I don’t know why being a spanner is a bad thing, I just know that it is. If you do decide to look up spanner pictures, my preference is those adjustable ones, you know the ones? Adjustable an’ that. Now that’s a very fine spanner.
Read more about spanners.
With all the incredible things happening in our time it’s easy to forget the 2007 financial crash. I mean, that’s not sexy terrorism, and certainly doesn’t promise cinematic thrills. Unfortunately the film has a slow start and those keen to abandon it, will be vindicated as they do a runner. I mean, a whole film about the financial crash? Bah…
Try to stick with it, the film does improve. The films’s keenly aware that it’s losing the audience and continually works to bring you back in.
This was the first hint this film wasn’t going to be your traditional Hollywood preach, as Margot Robbie explains nonsensical business terms in a bath.
As you probably guessed from the clip, the films tone is a tad unconventional. A sombre documentary mixed with Hollywood glitz? An insider scoop with intermittent voice-overs, fourth wall breaking and a lavish budget? It’s all too self aware and keen to unload bundles of information, safe in the knowledge that it will make it up to you later. How you mentally define the film doesn’t matter, it’s the message that counts, and all loose ends will become clear before the end. It helps that the all-star cast do a more than respectable job, even if Christian Bale can’t resist doing voices. The scripts lean and sharp, as we skip through a surprisingly witty film that’s incredibly quotable. Even if those quotes are a bit sweary.
This is a film for those that say “financial crisis; BORING!”.
Beyond the lethargic start, the story picks up speed as we are introduced to archetype groups that saw the crash coming. What follows is part factual and part storytelling, but based on things that really happened.
Things which people don’t tend to remember. Strange to think we are still hugely affected by events that happened over 10 years ago.
Businessman Men, doing manly business things. Men.
We may have been part of a generation that witnessed the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world. Bold statement I know. Hey, I didn’t write it, but you can read about that here. All I’m suggesting you do, is sit down and watch an informative, often amusing film, that breaks down why we’re living in a world with austerity. You shut up and pay ya’ taxes, working filth.
Just how damaging was the great crash? Close to the end, the film hits pretty hard and the consequences are there for all to see.
“I have a feeling, in a few years people are going to be doing what they always do when the economy tanks. They will be blaming immigrants and poor people.” – Steve Carell as Mark Baum.
So, The Big Short… A critically acclaimed film likely to be ignored by those who should watch it most.