The Big Short

I can only imagine how difficult it would be to successfully create a comical yet serious film about economics. As a student at a school of the arts and communications, I have expressed little interest in economics in the past. However, the film The Big Short was effectively able to capture my attention through humor, as well as creatively telling the story of the 2008 housing crisis in a lighthearted yet crucial manner. I walked away from the film not only blown away by cast performances, but with a newfound understanding and interest in this national phenomenon.

One of the biggest names in Hollywood is Brad Pitt. If his name is attached to a project, it is placed with high expectations. Although Brad Pitt has blessed audience members with this appearances on the big screen for decades, in the past ten years Pitt has been showing off his skills behind the scenes as a producer. His phenomenal work is evident in films such as The Departed, Moneyball, and 12 Years a Slave. In 2015 he demonstrated his knack for producing in the film The Big Short, nominated for 2016 Best Picture at the Academy Awards. While this film may have had several producers, the fact that Pitt attached himself to it demonstrates the level of importance it must have held for him. Pitt has been known to take small roles in the films he has produced, and The Big Short was no exception. No matter the size of the role Pitt takes on, he puts everything he has into the performance. The performances, combined with production value, places The Big Short as a contender for the most prestigious film award of the year.

Now when I first heard about the release of the film The Big Short, I knew two things about it: it had an incredible cast, and it was about the housing crisis of 2008. These two pieces of information held different weights to me- for years I have been obsessing over the works of actors such as Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling. However, I was 12 years old when the housing crisis took place, and knew very little about it. Therefore, I didn't have an overwhelming initial interest in an economic situation, however I knew that viewing this film could potentially be a good way to learn about it.

This film was based off of a book by Michael Lewis. The brilliance behind the film is that the director, Adam McKay, understands the convoluted nature of the financial crisis. It would be so easy to make this film either far too dense, in which terminology goes over people's heads, or to oversimplify the economic issues and not deliver a realistic representation of what actually happened. However, the density of Wall Street was not compromised for the sake of audience understanding. Instead, McKay took a unique approach to connect to the audience and explain the sequence of  events in ways they can understand. First, the film is narrated by Ryan Gosling's character, Jared Vennett, breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience. In the opening, we are given some background information on the start of the film, explaining the shift in banking in the 1970s. In addition to helpful narration, McKay decided to include celebrity cameos throughout the film to explain terminology. In so many words the narrator would say, "Now here's Margot Robbie in a bathtub sipping champagne to explain sub-prime loans..." This strategy was brilliantly used to break down financial concepts to the viewer.

It would be excessive to explain every single storyline and go through the entire plot of the film. I find it more important to analyze the performances of the cast. It can sometimes be a red flag to see such a big-name cast. In some cases, films rely on casting A-list celebrities to carry out a subpar film (ex. Bradley Cooper in The Words). However the casting of The Big Short was impeccable. Each actor delivered a spectacular performance. The standout performance in the film was that of Christian Bale. He played Michael Burry, a nerdy Birkenstocks-and-oversized-tee-shirt-wearing hedge fund manager from Silicon Valley. in fact- Bale asked the real Michael Burry for his shirt and cargo shorts, which he wore in the film. Burry was one of the first people to predict the housing crisis. Bale convincingly portrayed a metalhead who blasts music at work and plays the drums. What impresses me most is not exclusive to Bale's performance, but extends to other cast members- they are all portraying real people. This is always a feat that amazes me when done well (this is the same reason for my praise of Spotlight).

I was impressed by every performance. Ryan Gosling has always been one of my favorite actors. He has been in great films in the past, including The Place Beyond the Pines and Drive. However, my world stopped and my heart broke when he announced his break from acting in 2013. This has been his first major role since his break- there is no better way to make a comeback. His character comes closest to DiCaprio's portrayal of a Wall Street man in The Wolf of Wall Street. However is character felt much more natural. For example, classically handsome Gosling drastically changed his appearance- frankly, looking creepy- in order to demonstrate that not everyone on Wall Street is perfectly groomed and polished. Brad Pitt took a similar approach and altered his appearance as well. The commitments actors made to their roles payed off.

In general, I think it would be in anyone's best interest to see the film The Big Short. You will learn a lot. You will laugh. You will be amazed by the acting. It is not simply by chance that this film is nominated for Best Picture. CHECK. IT. OUT.