The Big Short Falls a Bit Short

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2016)

Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the late-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.
As the Oscar ceremony approaches (slowly but surely), the front-runner for best picture is said to be "Spotlight", with "The Big Short" named as a possible usurper. But right up front, let it be made clear: that possibility is slim. Although this is certainly an important film, it is not necessarily a great film.
The film is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and on that front, it has a real chance. The writers took what should be a dry, boring subject and made it somewhat interesting by adding humor and some unexpected cameos. A serious attempt was made to explain Wall Street in terms that everyone can understand. But one of the reasons it will not win Best Picture is because it never quite succeeds in explaining certain things. Comparing CDOs to soup makes sense, and using blackjack to explain why "hot hand" statistics and odds are false is wonderful. But even the very core concept of the film -- betting against something -- is never as clear as it should be. (And it does not help that Margot Robbie mumbles through her lines.) The script, which again is very good, should perhaps have been streamlined before filming. Most of the time we are in a sort of fast-paced world, a place Rosalind Russell of "His Girl Friday" would have appreciated. But we get bogged down with subplots that do not matter. The montages showing time passing added nothing, and the whole bit about Steve Carell's character dealing with a suicide did not matter. Yes, they flesh out his character, but in a story with so many protagonists, it makes no difference.
Speaking of Carell, some say he got snubbed for an acting nomination. That is a fair complaint. In recent years, he has shown himself to be much more than the guy from "The Office" or "Evan Almighty". He stood out in "Foxcatcher" (for which he was nominated), and he goes above and beyond that here. Playing Mark Baum may be his best role to date.
The Academy did decide to nominate Christian Bale. There is no argument that Bale is not one of the finest actors in the business, from "The Machinist" and "American Psycho" up through his recent work. He successfully portrays a man with Asperger's (without going over the top) and a glass eye. It is a great role. Will he win? Probably not, but only because Supporting Actor is shaping up to be one of the toughest categories this year. Both Mark Ruffalo and Mark Rylance are strong, so it seems likely one Mark or the other is getting the award.
Again, Best Picture seems woefully out of reach, which leaves the other big category: Best Director. This is a huge feather in the cap of Adam McKay, because he is not typically associated with Oscar-worthy film. This is the guy who brought us the Funny or Die website, as well as "Anchorman" and "Step Brothers". He makes great movies, but movies of an altogether different type. Up against heavyweights like Inarritu and Tom McCarthy, this win seems far-fetched.
Judging based on the Golden Globes (which is no sure indicator), "The Big Short" is the sort of film that gets several nominations, but few wins. At the Globes, it took home zero. With the Oscars, it might have a shot at Adapted Screenplay (as noted above), but will likely go home empty-handed. By no means is this a bad movie (it clearly is among 2015's best), but unfortunately for those involved, it will be edged out by different movies in each category and may be the film with the most unfulfilled nominations.