Review of The Big Short (2015) by Tim G — 30 Apr 2016

"The Big Short" is proof that sometimes, style is substance - at least it is for director Adam McKay. A rubix cube of the facts and fiction surrounding America's 2008 housing crisis, "The Big Short" takes the fury of main street to Wall Street in a whirlwind of characters and subplots as layered as its head-spinning subject matter.

Its star-studded cast brings a wealth of top-notch performances toeing the line between heavy and hilarious, but "The Big Short" can't help but muddle its material with nonsensical editing that always feels out of place.

The film's celebrity cameos and economic allegories are a bit more than the average viewer may want or need, but the image of Margo Robbie in a bathtub speaks for itself. Though "The Big Short" may be a better criticism than full-blown comedy, its effective character moments work hard enough to balance its jarring cinematography.

For "The Big Short," greed isn't just good - it's the big joke of our democracy.