Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt
Release Date (UK): January 22
Although a film about the housing market and economic bubble may not sound like the most exhilarating of viewings, McKay's direction and the razor sharp cast prevent The Big Short from diminishing its appeal.The Big Short depicts Dr. Michael Burry (Bale), Mark Baum (Carell), Jared Vennett (Gosling) and Ben Rickert (Pitt), four experiences professionals in the finance industry who pre-meditate the collapse of the housing market years before the financial crisis of 2007/2008. As they delve deeper into the world of modern banking, their startling revelations lead them to question the entire system and question everyone they encounter.
The film is based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis, and af
ter watching the film you can only assume that adapting the material for the big screen must have been a mammoth task. The writing and dialogue exchanged between the characters is fired fast and requires and audience's full attention. It's evident that McKay and co-writer Charles Randolph not only respected the source material but also the gravity and importance of the subject matter and it is most certainly reflected in the screenplay. For all the reverence that the film is treated with, McKay still includes inventive and original ways to bring levity to the material - most notably with the use of celebrity cameos. Through Gosling's character's narration, McKay throws over to celebrities including Margot Robbie to explain to the audience financial concepts, allowing us to process the flurry of information we have been confronted with and indulge in the humour.
Whilst the celebrity features are designed to help the audience understand and keep on track with the narrative, the financial jargon is extremely complex and specialised and often left me feeling bewildered and confused. Terms such as subprime loans and CDOs (collateralised debt obligations) made little sense to me and I was itching to reach for the nearest Google search bar. Those who are familiar with the subject matter or financial world in general will thrive in the environment created by McKay whereas those who aren't may often find themselves struggling to keep their head above water. In spite of this, the film's energy ensures that the stakes still feel incredibly high and there are surprising and unexpected emotional notes.
Despite the serious and complicated issues raised in The Big Short, plenty of laughs are to be had (unsurprising, given that this is an Adam McKay film). However, the humour never feels forced or synthetic and it is weaved completely naturally into the film's tapestry. A large part of the joy and entertainment value of watching this film has to be attributed to the cast; it truly is an ensemble and everybody delivers. Carell arguably conveys the most effective and interesting character as he plays a man who is in the corrupt business of banking but clearly feels the responsibility to set the world to rights, all the while struggling to overcome issues in his personal life.
Overall, The Big Short is funny, informative and tragic all in equal measure and will keep you gripped from the get-go. However, as soon as the lights go up in the cinema, you will most likely hurry home to clarify and gather as much information about what you have just watched as you can.
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