Review of Margin Call (2011) by Adam S — 26 May 2014

The directing debut of J.C. Chandor, "Margin Call" is a rather clever look at the fall of Wall Street in the late 2000's, told through the eyes of employees and managers at a firm loosely based on Goldman Sachs.

While the film appears to have been made cheaply enough, with minimal sets and a dialogue-driven plot, the producers certainly splurged on the cast, which includes Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci and Demi Moore.

The film really hits home not only how catastrophic the global financial crisis was, but also how callous and brutal the finance industry that brought it about is - brutal to both the general public and to it's own employees. Tellingly, the first scene shows a procession of employees departing the building with their belongings in a cardboard box.

This is a truly gripping and informative, and sometimes chilling true-life drama.