'People are going to be doing what they always do when the economy tanks - blame immigrants and poor people.'

Rating: 8/10 (17 March 2016)

Adam McKay directs this American historic nightmare for which he also wrote the screenplay with Charles Randolph based on Michael Lewis' book. Despite the fact that the film recreates the (in many ways) origin of Wall Street corporate greed and the loathing of the wealthy bankers for the rest of us who suffered because of their illegal shenanigans, and is cast with some fine actors, the taste the film leaves in the mouth is so bitter that it is difficult to honor this award-winning film with a review.
The plot is far too well known to us all (though the language of the film â€“ all in corporatese and financial mishmash is tough to follow) and is best left with a brief synopsis: Revisit the stock market crash and near dissolution of American economy as Michael Burry (Christian Bale), an eccentric ex-physician turned one-eyed Scion Capital hedge fund manager, has traded traditional office attire for shorts, bare feet and a Supercuts haircut. He believes that the US housing market is built on a bubble that will burst within the next few years. Autonomy within the company allows Burry to do largely as he pleases, so Burry proceeds to bet against the housing market with the banks, who are more than happy to accept his proposal for something that has never happened in American history. The banks believe that Burry is a crackpot and therefore are confident in that they will win the deal. 'Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.'
The funky weirdo characters are well portrayed by Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Maria Tomei and on and on. They pull off the disgust we feel for corporate greed and manage to recreate this nauseating time in our history very well. It just is not a pleasant film to watch.