The Big Short Review

The Real Wolves Of Wall Street?

Released : January 22nd 2016

Certificate : 15

Director : Adam McKay

Cast : Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Finn Wittrock, John Magaro

Plot : This true story begins in early 2005 and follows a small pocket of financial business men who notice, research and discover the flaw in the American housing market and the imminent effect it will have on the world economy with the 2008 recession. They decide to bet against the American economy.

As award sessions continues with the BAFTA’s and the Acadamey Awards around a month away, The Big Short emerges as a nomination stand out (not able to compete with some heavy hitters such as The Revenant with twelve however), British audiences now get a taste of Adam McKay. The film has been given the same nomination between both awards boards, with editing, adapted screenplay, directory, supporting actor (Bale) and film. The adapted material aspect of the film has a prestigious source in cinema history, as it is another book adaptions from Michael Lewis. This being the author behind past years award hopeful’s such as Moneyball and The Blind Side. While the director amusingly is quiet new to the award scene, Adam McKay (director of both Anchormans, Step Brothers and The Other Guys) has gained his first BAFTA and first two Oscar nod’s for this film due to his involvement of both writing and directing. But it is perhaps this comic edge that has earned it the best film position. As it’s an amazing story that needs a rough edge of sarcastic and blunt humour to make all the numbers, technical terms and the huge disaster it deals with to turn it into a great film.

The film follows the initial working of one man, Dr Michael Burry (Bale), a financial wizard who is a self diagnosed aspergers sufferer. From many late nights stuck to a computer screen shifting through the records of all the mortgages on the market, he discovers the dangers of the late payments. This eventually leads to him betting all of his business money against the market predicting the eventual crash. The huge flow of money attacks two other groups, one headed by Mark Baum (Carell) and the other Jamie Shipley (Wittrock) who both see the potential for huge benefit. This is the brief outline of the film, which it attempts to stick too despite the huge technical complexity of the issue at hand. This is a film that perfectly deals with its complex topic, by both humorous sarcasm and wit to help make the financial details easier to swallow. It is typified by the multiple outtakes where celebrities (of which are perfectly cast for multiple reasons) interrupt a scene steeped in technical language, it break it down into metaphors and terms the audience can understand. This combined with the effect of Jared Vennett (Gosling) narration and direct address makes the approach very similar to that of The Wolf Of Wall Street.

This atmosphere of the film might have been added to the film largely by McKay’s involvement of the screenwriting aspect of the film, to what extent is unknown. Due to the serious dramatic tones of Michael Lewis previous books which have been adapted, it could be argued for none readers that perhaps the humour was a large impact that McKay had to the film. If so then hats off to him for a large part of the appeal, enjoyment and greatness of this film. While the humour is very reminiscent of McKay’s other films, being sweary and rude, it is pitch perfect for this adaptions. McKay was able to tip toe between the drama and humour evenly and brilliantly throughout most of the film. Up to the climax which has a big mode shift as the reality is unveiled to the audience. This change in gear atmosphericaly is sudden and clean to the bone, but overall needed for the films messages to resonate with the audience. McKay’s work of direction was notable, with unique effects such as breaking up scenes with montages of stills of culture (giving the editor a nightmare that they dealt with expertly) and as mentioned the presentation of the gear change.

For the acting side of the film there is both good execution and tackling of the characters development along with the final act of the film. Of course the heavy hitter of the film is that of Bale as he takes on a new skill in his acting career of mental illness. While the film doesn’t explore the characters backgrounds to a huge extent, the work of McKay to devote Bale the unbroken screen time he requires and Bale’s repetition of key mannerisms and easy with emotional scenes makes the performance a worthy contender this year (despite him not being a favorite). Gosling was irresistibly enjoyable as was most of the supporting cast (Rafe Spall, Hamish Linklater, Jeremy Strong) to being the comic relief for the most part with a montage of funny blunt one liners of banter between one another. Steve Carell had a fairly simple character to deal with, perhaps why the praise hasn’t been as large. Despite this Carell second outing for a lead for a drama again pleases audience with a solid performance hammering home is talent as an actor with a career outside comedy.

The Big Short however as it most likely to do fails on most accounts on translating all of the little details that surround the story. But its a feet to even attempt a film adaptation of a book that is brimming with such dense technical story. So this means hats off to McKay in his efforts to take all that he can and make it funny. Some will undoubted say that the events are one for a film loaded with comedy. But as a pieces of cinema it is funny as it is dramatic, even if its shouldn’t be making jokes in the first place. And for the most part of the film there is much entertainment to be found in the film despite the failing to grasp many of the details of the technical side of the film. Some may find that the film has resemblances outside of the story topic to The Wolf Of Wall Street with the direct audience address, humor style, attitude to subject matter and directorial effects. But due to the more ‘human’ story being told, it does have a warmth the superior Scorsese film lacks. It’s up to the individual audience member as to whether the similarities jeopardize quality of film.

Verdict : You will laugh, you won’t cry and you won’t understand all of it. But you should appreciate talent involved, resulting in a film as eye opening as possible while maintaining entertainment.

Verdict : 4/5

Quote : “You wanted to be rich, now you are.”