Review of Margin Call (2011) by Mark W — 06 Oct 2012

Are you feeling the pinch of our current economic crisis? Are you angry at the investment bankers that have put us all in a precarious financial position? If so, you may find a dramatisation of the operations and swindling of these high-flying executives of particular interest. Writer-director J.C. Chandor seems to and has his finger firmly on the pulse when conveying the enormity of greed and dishonesty in corporate business.

In an unnamed New York investment bank, the majority of the work force are losing their jobs. One of the first to go is risk management executive Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci). Before he's escorted from the building, he hands a USB to analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) asking him to take a look. Sullivan does so and finds that the company's profit margins are superseded by it's debt. It's unsustainable and will dangerously and inevitably lead to a financial collapse.

Margin Call could, comfortably, be described as a zeitgeist film. It addresses the economic crisis at face value and reflects the very financial situation that has affected a lot of people at this time. It isn't a film that bombards you with statistics but plays it from the angle of the people behind the scenes and does it admirably with sharp dialogue; the best of which goes to Irons' CEO when he spouts such choice lines as "The world will always be full of happy f@#ks and sad sacks" or "It's spilt milk under the bridge". There's a ruthlessness involved in big business and this film captures it well. Ultimately, it may all just come down to number crunching but the job that these people do has a direct effect on all of us and in this respect, debutant J.C. Chandor gets his point across. It's an impressive and effective first feature and Chandor makes great use of close-up's on all of his characters. So much so, that every wrinkle, pore and nervous expression is captured - lending the film a real intensity. Across the board, the high-calibre cast are brilliant; how can you go wrong with such talents onscreen when every one of them is given just enough material to sink the their acting chops into? Well, the answer to that is... you can't. And that's what makes this film standout. Don't get me wrong though, this does have it's narrative flaws and despite a very tense opening and consistent display of captivating boardroom meetings and fast, flowing business jargon, it loses it's momentum around the midriff. However, it still packs enough of a punch to see itself through to the end.

A worthy reflection on the current financial times and cutthroat nature of business. This is a film that will appeal to fans of "Glengarry Glen Ross" or the underrated and mostly unseen "Boiler Room". A top quality cast and an excellent directorial debut.