The rampant criminality and disgusting practices of the big banks leading to the 08 financial meltdown have never been so entertainingly laid bare as they are in The Big Short. If you pay attention, you'll emerge from the theater spouting the ins and outs of bundled mortgage backed securities like a champ. It will however, really piss you off. Bearing witness to the greed and callousness of those responsible for the larceny of over a trillion dollars doesn't sound like it would be a good time. Nor does bearing witness to the few gifted insiders who saw it coming and profited off it. Yet thanks to a terrific cast and an energy that draws you in, it really works. Steve Carell's Mark Baum is the heart of the film, almost it's moral center. Which is a laugh in it of itself, considering what a jerk he often is. But there are no heroes in this film, just those who exhibit slight remorse. Carell being the one who seems to take it the hardest, thus making his character the most sympathetic. Ryan Gosling gets most of the belly laughs for his slick, smooth-talking portrayal of Jarred Vennett, who in a way, embodies the very corrupt system he's profiting off of. Now the film deals with dense subject matter, but does so in such a breezy, and at times, ingenious fashion, that it doesn't feel like a chore at all. It is a little scattered at times, with seemingly more screen time spent with relative unknowns than the heavyweight big name cast, but it's not a huge flaw. Especially when the headliners make the most of their time as they do here. Kudos to writer/director Adam Mckay for not only choosing to tackle this crucial subject, but for the way he does it. Not like an acetate lecture, but more like a frat house cram session.
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