Review of Margin Call (2011) by Hoops2448 — 25 Oct 2011

Margin Call is this years depiction of the current economic crisis and how it might have come about. Much like 2009s Up In The Air and Januarys The Company Men its main aim is to say something about the morally corrupt world we live in and how we live with the fact we know its morally corrupt.

Margin Call is about a stock market company that is downsizing and lets go a majority of its staff. However one of the people they fired (Stanley Tucci) has discovered a problem with the companys method of buying and selling. He tells one of the few people who wasn't let go and the whole firm goes into crisis management mode as they try to prepare for the next day of sales.

However unlike The Company Men (which is a fine film in terms of acting) Margin Call has an interesting story, a well structured script and it knows where it wants to end up. All its characters, be they young up and comers like Zachary Quintos Peter or middle aged cynics like Paul Bettanys Will have a tale to tell and some great material to work with. For instance Quinto has some fantastic moments especially in his initial reaction to the crisis as he struggles to come to terms with what he has been given. The acting in Margin Call is nearly flawless with the film showing what Bettany can do when he isn't fighting angels or vampires. However the standout of the film has to be Kevin Spacey whose distaste in what he has to do over the course of the evening makes for some excellent scenes. That being said Demi Moore does make the film suffer in that she doesn't put much into her performance, she tries to go for a subdued performance because it suits the under appreciated nature of her character but in all honesty she just looks bored.

The script manages to make all the major characters feel fleshed out and real despite how many there are while also telling a gripping and tense story as you really don't know who is going to make it out of the night with a job. It does seem like there is a new movie every six months about the financial crisis but regardless of the played out nature of the source material, Margin Call still manages to be fresh and entertaining. Overall Margin Call is a cautionary tale about human nature and what the rich and powerful will do to stay rich and powerful, that has beautifully acted characters, a nuanced script and a fast pace to keep you entertained. Well worth a watch.