Review of Margin Call (2011) by Seamus R — 11 Apr 2012

Margin Call is like the business side of Up in the Air if Aaron Sorkin wrote it. It gives you insight into the behind the scenes operation of a failing company striving to stay afloat and not caring who it screws over in order to do that.

It's not a based on true events kind of movie, but you get the feeling it might as well be. The plots moves fast. The dialogue is quick and energetic. It's a thriller without the sense of direct danger.

The performances are convincing and detailed, and the writing is sharp. It's hard to imagine a more relevant film for the times we live in, and though this film zeros in on only one of many causes of the financial crisis, it certainly exposes a whole lot of the nasty side of business.