Review of The Big Short (2015) by Gregory G — 04 Jun 2016

Before the 2008 economic collapse, four investors correctly predicted the housing market would implode and made bets, called credit default swaps, against the housing market, which would make them incredibly rich.

Based on the book by Michael Lewis, writer-director Adam McKay has made a scathing, sophisticated satire on the corruption of American capitalism that is motivated by short-term financial gain resulting in widespread fraud.

Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt are the four investors, who represent the audience's consciousness in expressing dismay then anger as they become more learned about the rampant greed.

McKay's cynicism is palpable, but he doesn't get weighed down in didacticism and his daring conclusion that the systemic corruption goes on, is blisteringly accurate. And it never turns into an orgy of recklessness and excess the way Scorsese's "Wolf of Wall Street" does.

McKay isn't particularly talented visually, but the editing is intelligent and he brilliantly stages scenes with celebrities addressing the audience to educate us with dry wit on the complex financial terminology.

Co-written by Charles Randolph. Cinematography by Barry Ackroyd, music by Nicholas Britell, edited by Hank Corwin. McKay and Randolph won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.