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Saw it yesterday--some of the best parts are when the movie breaks the 4th wall and addresses the audience directly--
Thought Carrell was very good--personally I didn't care for the personal tragedy aspect in his life--thought it seemed a false note but it was supposed to show the empathetic side to his personality which make him feel for the average person/investor...and why he wanted to punish the banks/mortgage companies--
Christian Bale in very different role for him--kind of surprised he took it--he was very good but he won't get the attention...and two points--that was real guy and he is investing in water...
Ryan Gosling's hair makes him look borderline fake and definitely nefarious but he is really one of the more honest players working IN the mortgage industry--
Most of the main characters are those trying to profit from the anticipated crash--
Except Brad Pitt--he was quirky--and the two guys he was working with were small change in the larger scope but he educated them about why their making money was not a painless process...
Melissa Leo is really funny and if she is based on a real person (haven't read book so don't know) then add another to the list of criminals who got away with running the largest fraud on the American people and the world in general in known history...
Just made me sick to revisit that time and feel the same anger---especially knowing that the same type of manipulation can happen again because the powers that are running Congress (and I don't mean elected officials) don't want to see serious legislation to rein in abusive practices...
It was interesting movie because I thought it was able to make the book I couldn't finish more approachable---
Two other good movies about the financial crisis--
One with Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield -- 99 Homes--more front line effect of the housing crash seen from a homeowner and a real estate investor using the crash to enrich himself...
And "Margin Call" built around a big investment bank--like Goldman--when an analyst discovers bank is at heightened level of risk because of their mortgage investments...
Story is about how they sell off their investments to unsuspecting investment houses to limit their own damage...Jeremy Irons is very cold and reptilian--but excellent--as the CEO
Spacey in a nicer version of Frank Underwood...
And that aspect of CYA is mentioned in "The Big Short" when the manipulation of the ratings comes out
Anyway, I've seen a lot of different reviews on it. Some people hate it and think they spend too much time explaining things, and some people love it but wish they took more time to explain things.
I am able to download it, so I watched it a couple of times and each time I understood more. Even if you don't understand everything in the movie, I think the acting goes above and beyond and the movie should be watched for that alone. But there's still a powerful message there and I think most people would end up angry at the end.
I love this movie and I finally put myself on the hold list at the library to read the book. I'm #27. Ah, well.
Just watched this movie and I really liked it. Well done with good explanations about what happened in the mid 2000's. I didn't realize Brad Pitt was in the movie until I saw the credits. I thought the Ben guy looked familiar, but just thought he looked like someone I knew .
I wasn't a fan of the 4th-wall breaking and the overall editing style. The movie still succeeded in making my blood boil. They did a good job of casting actors with punchable faces, playing the roles of people who contributed to the collapse.
Great film, and one that is definitely worth watching more than once. This is all based on a true story, the acting is fantastic, I like the way the film is shot with pauses in the action so that main points of the film can be addressed directly, sometimes by a cameo appearance of someone either very educated on the subject, or someone completely disconnected from it (Selena Gomez)
So much information is presented on sub prime loans, mortgage backed securities and AAA bonds that I will watch this again to let this information sink in. Really enjoyed this film.
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