I Don't Get It

Rating: 2/10 (18 January 2016)

Why is this movie so critically acclaimed? Why is it winning so many awards? I'm baffled. It's categorized as a comedy, and I don't understand why. Is it a black comedy? When the actors break the fourth wall, turn to the camera and have to explain why what's happening in the scene is so outrageous... is that supposed to be funny?
For the average movie-goer I think it will be an even more boring experience than it was for me. I'm a finance professional, so I already have some understanding of the jargon. I've also watched documentaries about the mortgage collapse (which were far superior to this), so this topic was not new to me. For someone without this background watching this movie must feel like being forced to sit and audit a college course in finance.
Why is Christian Bale winning Best Actor awards for his performance? He plays a one-note socially awkward, introverted shut-in. How hard is that? There was no range or depth to his role.
If you were working in the extended market of mortgage-backed securities during this time, you might find the irony played out on the screen, or the cartoonish characterizations of some of the key players amusing, but for the wider general audience, I don't get how they could be entertained by it. Maybe it's because Adam McKay's brand of humor does not resonate with me. I didn't think the Anchorman movies were funny, I thought they were dumb. Perhaps his target audience for this film is the same as for those and they will appreciate this type of "humor".