Laughing At Our Own Misfortune: “The Big Short” Review
No one could have seen this coming.
That was the go-to “get out of jail free card” line that was tossed around at the time of the housing crisis.
The Big Short proves that this wasn’t so.
Based on the book by Michael Lewis, published in 2010, this cautionary tale follows four insider-outsiders: an arrogant investor (Gosling), a reborn, do-gooder hippie (Pitt), a cynical jerk, sick of the greed (Carell) and a genius weirdo (Bale). Seeing the bubble about to burst, these men decide to “bet against the banks” in order to profit from the inevitable downfall of the American housing market.
Writer and director, Adam McKay (Stepbrothers, Anchorman) had his work cut out for him when crafting this screenplay, problem number one being how to explain all the financial jargon without slowing the lightning-fast pace of the film.
Ryan Gosling’s character, Jared Vennett, in a very “Ferris Bueller” style, guides the audience through the film, stopping now and then to turn to the camera and explain a financial buzzword or to verify that something particularly insane actually happened in real life. Jared will also take a pause in proceedings to call upon some celebrity experts to explain the more complicated economic practices.
While the confusion around the technicalities of what lead to the crash of the housing market was a major problem, possibly the bigger obstacle when writing this screenplay was getting the tone right. Ultimately, this is the darkest of comedies because it’s centred around one of the most devastating things to happen to the first world in our lifetime. There won’t be anyone watching this movie who wasn’t impacted by the housing crisis, but there also won’t be anyone watching who isn’t laughing.
McKay has proven his skill for comedic timing, but The Big Short has an impressive pace that’s far from funny. Just as the film becomes a laugh-out-loud farce, with scenes full of blowing millions of dollars on gambling and strippers and meetings over champagne lunches, a moment so powerfully sobering will come that makes the characters and the audience feel guilty for getting caught up in the money and the power.
Some of the best examples of this change of pace are the scenes in which Brad Pitt’s character, Ben Rickert, is trying to act as a conscience for two young newcomers who are about to make their fortune off the back of economic ruin. Rickert’s expertise and guidance always comes with some caveat that reminds us there are really no heroes in this piece.
The Big Short is one of the smartest movies this award-season, and not just because of the subject matter. Its extravagance is hilarious, and also completely terrifying because, as we know, all of this is true. While Christian Bale is nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor, it’s Steve Carell who really deserves the recognition.
His character’s guilt and disgust at our love of money is the charge for some of the most emotional moments in the film, as well as the funniest. His portrayal of Mark Baum as a rude, angry cynic is so powerful, especially in the scenes where he’s brought face to face the recent death of his brother.
Adam McKay is absolutely worthy of all the Best Screenplay nominations he’s received. The Big Short has been released while many people are still being hurt by this economic crisis, so it doesn’t try to shy away from making audiences angry, nor does it pander to anyone with a trite “silver lining” ending. Towards the end of the film, Jared Vennett turns to the audience to tell them that he never said he was the hero of the story, and while this story doesn’t have really any heroes, or a just, satisfying resolution, it is still hilarious.
If you liked this, watch…
Margin Call (2011) — For a slightly more sober look at the banking crisis, Margin Call takes a look at one firm as they stumble upon the early signs of financial ruin. It’s cut-throat and calculated as the audience sees the kind of “blame-game” mentality within a boardroom.
Wall Street (1987) — The Big Short isn’t shy in its nods to classic eighties “greed is good” flicks about investors and money and all that sexy stuff. So why not revisit the original?
Inside Job (2010) — Agreed upon to be the best documentary about the 2008 financial crisis. It’s slick and informative and really scary.
Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) — If you enjoyed the humorous look at our financial ruin, and think the more serious take on it is just too depressing, then Michael Moore’s trademark tongue-in-cheek humour should help. This is in no way his best film and it’s not as focused as Inside Job but it’s funny.
