A story that was necessary to be told

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2016)

"The Big Short" centers around a few outsiders who want to make huge profit of the falling housing market which is connected to the huge economical collapse in 2008/2009. Christian Bale, Steve Carrel, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt lead the cast. Although it is a very serious topic the story is narrated in a humorous way.
Let me start off with the many positive aspects of the film. To begin with, I liked how some characters broke the fourth wall occasionally. That is a very nice way of narrating the intricate topic. I am not really into economy and trading and have barely knowledge in that area, and I guess I am not the only one. I believe screenwriter Charles Randolph and director/writer Adam McKay knew this and tried to find a good and entertaining way to solve this problem. By breaking the fourth wall the audience gets "taken" into the story, we are made part of it (and if you think about it, we actually are part of it since the demise of the housing market influenced many of us). At many points I felt as if it was an educational movie. I really liked that. Moreover, the fourth wall played a vast role in terms of comedy.
Furthermore, I absolutely fell in love with the editing. Extraordinary work was done by Hank Corwin. Some of the best editing I have seen this year. It was an unusual kind of editing and I needed some time to "adapt" to this, but the result was phenomenal. Quick cuts, freezes, zooms, unexpected cuts, montages etc. Outstanding work, I wouldn't be surprised if "The Big Short" wins the Oscar for "Best Editing".
Another great aspect of this movie was the acting. Steve Carell, you're a genius. The way he played his highly-flawed character was simply gorgeous. You hated him, but you loved him simultaneously. Christian Bale impressed me, too, as always. That guy is a chameleon. The roles he plays are simply unique and he always "transforms" to that character. I loved it. While Steve Carell and Christian Bale were the standouts, the rest of the cast did a very good job, too. I am not only talking about Brad Pitt, who played a different kind of role this time and from whom I would have liked to see more, or Ryan Gosling, who made a splendid comeback after having an acting break. I am talking about the whole cast. Everyone in the movie did a very solid job and fulfilled their respective role. Even the minor roles impressed heavily. That must have been one hell of a casting director.
As I mentioned before, the movie is narrated in a funny way. I liked the humor. It was a perfect mixture of comedy and drama. They did not overdo it with the jokes. Additionally, the timing was immaculate every time. But I think what made the movie funny was the result of characters that were "caricatures" of real people. The exaggerated way they were represented made it so much fun to follow the characters that partly drove the story.
The only thing missing was a memorable and unique soundtrack in my opinion. Do not understand me wrong, the tracks used in the movie were good, but one soundtrack with one "theme" would have been better I guess (see "Spotlight" for instance). The track that was playing during the trailer for example was fantastic and I would have preferred to hear more of that.
All in all, "The Big Short" was an important movie telling a crucial story that addresses us all. It was a necessary piece of work. I loved the way it was narrated. The fourth wall, the editing and of course the writing played a big role in that. Did I understand everything? Hell no. Do I feel a little bit more educated? Definitely. The motion picture fulfilled its role in a funny and entertaining way. 8/10