It’s surprising that “The Big Short” was ever made into a film. The movie, based on the nonfiction novel of the same name, tells the story of a few people who saw the collapse of the world economy coming and bet big against it.
The film follows a group of outsiders that short the housing market and make huge sums of money with the collapse of the economy. We watch as they profit in the millions while everyone else loses everything. While the premise doesn’t sound too entertaining, director Adam McKay is able to turn this story into a funny and self-aware film.
“The Big Short” takes on the complex and challenging task of explaining the 2008 housing market crash, laying out just what mistakes the big banks made that led to the recession. With Throwing around complex terms like “CDos,” the film fully explains what everything means, often by breaking the fourth wall — for example, cutting to a celebrity like Selena Gomez to simply state the term definitions. With the characters often talking directly to the audience about their thoughts, the film shows a consciousness about the subject material that keeps you invested.
This is a fast change for director Adam McKay, who has really only been in the Will Ferrell business, previously directing “Step Brothers,” “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights.” There is no goofball in “The Big Short,” and the film turns darker and darker as the collapse of the economy approaches.
The film may have too many characters, but a lot of this mistake is forgiven by casting incredible actors in each role. Steve Carell is the real highlight of the film, fresh off his role in “Foxcatcher” for which he earned an Oscar nomination last year. Christian Bale also slips into the role of the eccentric Michael Burry, who is the first to spot the housing bubble in the film.
The editing of the film is as eccentric as the characters themselves. With loud music and sudden cuts, “The Big Short” is strung together in a way that keeps you interested, even when the subject matter should bore you. All of the laughs are smart, and the characters are more than average, boring businessmen. The film will be definitely be a big awards contender, and rightfully so.
Ultimately, “The Big Short” is extremely sharp. Many wouldn’t guess a movie about people making millions off the great economic crash would make for a compelling movie. In the end, Adam McKay, with the help of an all-star ensemble, makes this film one of the best of the year.
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