Unexpected Big Laughs, not short on great on screen talent.

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2016)

In the Big Short director Adam McKay directs a very talented ensemble cast of characters based on the book by Michael Lewis. In which Jared Vennett, played by Ryan Gosling narrates, highlighting the key players of the events leading up to the housing market collapse. With Christian Bale as Dr. Michael Murray, Steve Carell as Mark Baum and Brad Pitt as Ben Richert the audience is entertainingly explained what happened in what was and in some lasting instances still is a very turbulent time in the America and the world's economy.
When I first saw the trailer for the Big Short I was immediately excited by the cast, the mad cap back and forth made it seem very Wolf of Wall Street (2014) reminiscent. Although given the topic, I felt under the wrong director with a message driven cross-to-bare we could have a two-hour snooze fest. Great performances loaded with dialogue heavy dramatic scenes. Then I noticed the director, Adam Mckay. For those of you not familiar with his work, Adam McKay is usually at the helm of such Judd Apatow produced affairs as Anchorman (2004) and Step Brothers (2008). Heavy on the sophomoric pull my finger hilarity not ripped from the headlines current event pictures. A film like this you would expect to see a David Fincher, Danny Boyle or even Oliver Stone directing. Only that would only add sawdust to what is already dry material. What Adam McKay brings is levity and comedic irreverence. In the spirit of shows like the Daily Show or Last Week Tonight with John Oliver a spoon full of comedic sugar makes the news worthy information go down; infotainment at its best. In a brilliant bit of A.D.D. pandering direction, unconventionally placed real life celebrities explain some of the more hard to pay attention to plot points. Example: hot Hollywood starlet Margot Robbie explaining Sub-prime loans from a bubble bath, Brilliant. This movie marks a very exciting change in trajectory for Adam McKay's career, leaving me anxious to see his next project. There are some great as to be expected performances by Christian Bale and Carell; but for me it was Ryan Gosseling's Leo in Wolf of Wall Street style narrative that kept me laughing while learning. This film is important in that America needs to have a more informed level of outrage in response to the housing market collapse. Now I realize this may not be the best way to inform, with a Hollywood film. But then again is that any worse than Fox News. This film is universally informative and fun, extremely palatable for any level of taste, education or humor. A great selection if it's your turn to pick.