The Big Short - Review

Right off the bat, I don't know shit about financial loans, bank equities, the stock market or mortgage fraud. So I went into this film just based on the fact that it received a Best Picture Oscar Nomination this morning. What I didn't expect was for this film to blow my f***ing socks off. A filmmaker named John Grierson once said that we shouldn't use film as a means just to entertain, but to inspire and to inform a mass audience and get them caring about a certain subject matter. That's exactly what this film did. Normally, when I drive home from the movie theatre, if I'm with some friends or girlfriend or even family members, we generally talk about our favourite performances, the best jokes if it's a comedy, the best set-pieces if it's an action movie and what ideas we have for a potential sequel. On the ride home from this film, I had a pretty heated discussion about the constant fraud the banks on Wall Street and throughout the United States operate in. This film made me completely invested about something I normally couldn't care less about. How did they do that? Well, they sucked me in with witty humour, mostly from Ryan Gosling's constant breaking of the fourth wall, and amazing performances, especially by Steve Carrell. This guy knocked it out of the park. One of, if not my favourite performance all year! Which is surprising because Christian Bale got the nomination here, not Steve Carell. Bale was good, don't get me wrong... but Carrell was fantastic. I strongly encourage you guys to see this movie. It's riveting, intriguing, well acted, funny, it's got it all. Will EVERYONE like it? Definitely not, but when a film can get my head spinning hours after I've seen it, then I know it's a great film. Even if it is about a subject matter I had absolutely zero knowledge of before.