Rent The Big Short (2015)

Essential Viewing - The Big Short review by MD

We've had "Margin Call" and "99 Homes" looking at aspects of the 2008 financial crisis, but this is the film that will bring home most forcibly exactly what happened, and why. Given that we are still labouring under the consequences of that time, and most likely heading for a repeat in the not-too-distant future, this is essential viewing. It is an intelligent film about complex issues and ideas, but it is never anything other than absorbing and entertaining.

It has a rather quirky style in parts that can be annoying, but for the most part the story tells itself, and what a story it is. An all- star cast play it very straight, and some of the lesser known players have a real impact; Steve Carrell was not an obvious choice to play the lead, but he carries the film really well, and you'll find yourself growing equally amazed, angry and peed off as he uncovers the truth.

Based on a true story, the written summary of what happened next (at the end) is almost as powerful as the film itself, and very worrying.

Great Film But Not for Everyone - The Big Short review by LS

I can understand why many people don't like this film - it's incredibly complicated and the plot is an ever-moving moral downward spiral. I did understand all of it and in fact finally understood exactly what caused "The Great Recession."

If this helps:

1) Lenders sold a lot of houses to people who couldn't afford them

2) Wall Street put all the loans in a big bundle then sold pieces of that bundle (CDOs)

3) Then parts of Wall Street put lots of those bundles into a bigger bundles and sold pieces of those bundles

4) The ratings agency that was meant to say whether something is a safe investment lied because to keep banks from simply using shopping around until they found another agency that would lie

5) A few people figured out what was happening, tried to warn the press and regulatory agencies

6) Those few people "shorted" those bundles. A "short" is literally a bet that an investment would fail

7) Believe it or not banks also are allowed to work as betting agencies and let people make those bets

8) Those bundles all failed when people who couldn't afford their houses defaulted on their loans

9) Banks that sold a whole lot of those bundles failed

10) The people that made the bets they would fail made tens of millions and Steve Carell's made a billion

11) Nobody (except one guy nobody had heard of) got in trouble for cheating and lying

12) Millions of people lost their homes. Millions of people lost their homes and thousands of businesses who invested on behalf of pensions lost everything

13) Banks suck and the governments suck for not regulating banks properly

Hope that helps.

The Big Bore - The Big Short review by Alphaville

Hold the front page! This is the film about sub-prime mortgages for which you’ve been so avidly waiting. Not.

It darts around all over the place trying to make a boring subject cool, but that merely highlights the emptiness of the whole project. We’re presented with such a slew of financial characters that we need a Ryan Gosling voiceover to keep up. Celebrities break the fourth wall to explain financial products to the viewer. Mannered performances, jump cuts and irritating zooms all add to the irritation.

As a result, rather than making you angry at the banking crisis, the film makes you give up caring, which is a tragedy. Don’t be fooled by its Oscar nominations. Hollywood loves to pat itself on the back for addressing important issues. Step forward Argo, for instance. The film has received good reviews simply for its subject matter, but those reviews come from critics who care only about its subject matter. In which case, they should watch a documentary.

As a piece of cinema, this is a boring mess about financial institutions. You’ll want to rush to see it. Not.