“If we’re right, people lose homes. People lose jobs. People lose retirement savings, people lose pensions.” – Ben Rickert
Developed from the fantastic mind of director Adam McKay (Stepbrothers, Anchorman) and adapted from the pages of author Michael Lewis’s true to life book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine; The Big Short brings to the silver screen the story of the 2008 global economic crisis, and how 4 outsiders in the world of Wall Street trading were able to make millions from it. With a fantastic ensemble of actors including Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt; McKay has assembled the perfect talent to create a film of such importance in the modern world, which throughout resonates with the audience through a perfect mix of comedy and a great undertone of seriousness.
The Method Behind the Madness.
When McKay was announced to be directing this project, it came as a surprise to many that he was straying far from his comedic origins in order to produce a film of this calibre. However, he has used his sheer comedic talent in such a way concerning The Big Short that somehow he has made one of the worst economic disasters in history into one of the funniest films of the year. With a killer script written by McKay and partner Charles Randolph, the film provides constant humour which at times is just astoundingly funny, whether it’s the characters poking fun at the real world, or simply the chemistry of characters such as Steve Carrell’s Mark Baum and Ryan Gosling’s Jared Vennett; The Big Short is just full of humour whilst staying in touch with reality. Using the technique of breaking the fourth wall, mainly through Gosling’s Vennett, but also through Finn Wittrock’s Jamie Shipley; allows McKay to translate to the audience the many complicated aspects of the story, which enables the viewer to be fully immersed into the film’s plot. As well as this, McKay’s use of celebrities such as Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez to explain complex financial terminology simply creates a new breed of humour whilst actually creating an easier to comprehend film than perhaps it should be.
An Excellent Ensemble of Talent That Works Wonders.
Though in the end it would turn out to be Christian Bale who garnered the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for playing the socially awkward genius that is Dr. Michael Burry; every member of the cast did a stellar job in bringing their respective characters to life. As ‘America’s angriest hedge fund’ boss Mark Baum, Steve Carrell provided much of the comedy and brought such a phenomenal cynicism to this film that in turn evolved into the viewer personally feeling Baum’s hatred for the big banks, and his story more than the rest resonated with the viewer due to it’s powerful and emotional nature. As cocky young upstart Jared Vennett, Ryan Gosling brought some of his classic charm to the table, gifting the viewer with some of the film’s sharpest lines, even if you want to hate everything Vennett represents the viewer just can’t help but root for him; and his rapport with Carrell’s Baum was simply excellent. As well as those leading three actors, Brad Pitt brought humour and pessimism into The Big Short through retired trader Ben Rickert, whose cynical humour and kind nature gave him great chemistry with surprisingly strong performances from Finn Wittrock and John Magaro.
The Verdict.
It has become clear that The Big Short is a major contender at this year’s Academy Awards, garnering 5 nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, and it comes as no surprise as Adam McKay has done such an impressive job of creating this story for the cinema, supported by perhaps the best script of the year and a fantastically gifted ensemble of actors. A film that can provide drama and humour simultaneously is something very rare, and The Big Short is a perfect example of this; and fresh from it’s Best Picture win at the PGA awards, it has become the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar, so keep your eyes peeled as the race unfolds. A wonderfully crafted film which is a must see for this awards season, certainly one of the best films of the year.
Rating: 9/10
Words by Elliott Jones