Bold, energetic, hilarious

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2016)

Here's something that won't shock you: America's big banks are all kinds of corrupt and full of fraudulent leadership. Here's something that WILL shock you: the movie about that fact is immensely engaging and hilariously entertaining. Director McKay (Anchorman) has found a way to make the financial sector of American economics one of the most spastically fun films in theaters. Without glossing over the sickening and infuriating lack of justice in these too-big-to-fail organizations, The Big Short makes even its most openly educational moments funny and interesting through noble directorial experimentation and bombastic performances. It's 2005, and a small band of misfits and outsiders begin predicting what all of us now know to be true: the housing bubble collapse of 2008 and ultimately the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Who doesn't love an underdog, whistleblower tale, especially when their takedown is targeted at corrupt old billionaires and annoying young dude-bros? However, much like this year's superb Spotlight, we and our protagonists quickly realize that what we're rooting for is more complex than a simple victory. Full of empathy for all involved, the all-star cast is given room to shine, as the story allows for equal parts ethos, pathos and downright hilarity. Most wonderful is the way it plays with the conceit of the "true story". Instead of trying to be too authentic or too Hollywood, it presents each in new and daring ways, never letting its audience get ahead of its story. Did I fully understand the details in the math? Not really. Did it matter? Not at all. Bold and energetic, The Big Short is a numbers movie, but its sum far exceeds its parts.