Crime of the Century

What's that old saying about how if you're not pissed off, you're not paying attention? Obviously, this sentiment rings especially true in America, where the rich literally steal from the poor, and we know and allow it. The new film from director Adam McKay (Anchor Man), The Big Short, proves this beyond a possible doubt as we follow various bankers and fund managers who predicted and invested in the economic collapse of 2008. The true charm of the film isn't in the stellar performances from big names like Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling or Christian Bale, but in the unspoken assumption that our heroes (or anti-heroes, as it were) believe they operate within a system that works. There is true doubt and disbelief as the characters finally absorb that the top brass at our nation's banks not only were fraudulent criminals, they didn't even care. This causes visceral and emotional reactions to these real-world events and reminds us as an audience, or as the American public, that there may not be an end when it comes to greed. Some of the imagery errs more toward the heavy-handed and the true morality of the main players is nebulous at best. Additionally, the breaking of the fourth wall, while enjoyably humorous, recalls The Wolf of Wall Street perhaps a little more than the filmmakers should have been comfortable with, but given the lengths to which The Big Short goes to make its tedious and tiresome subject matter accessible, it becomes something akin to a PSA. This is the kind of film that should be shown in high school economics classes and a Cassandra-esque warning that these fuckers are still out there preying on your dreams to this day, despite that all-important truth that is all too often lost on the soulless and the greedy: You can't take it with you.

The Big Short
Regal, Violet Crown,
R,
130 min. 

Santa Fe Reporter