Film Review: "The Big Short" (2015).

As the film begins, a quote from Mark Twain appears "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." This quote pretty much sums up the ridiculous true story that is The Big Short. This biographical comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Adam McKay; adapted by Charles Randolph and McKay; based on the 2010 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, about the financial crisis of 2007–2008 brought on by the build-up of the housing market and credit bubble. The film follows four denizens of the world of high-finance as they predict the credit and housing bubble collapse, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

For those who have absolutely no clue of what it is this film is about or what the hell it is I'm blabbing on about, The Financial Crisis of 2007–08 (also known as the Global Financial Crisis and 2008 Financial Crisis) is considered by many economists to have been the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It threatened the collapse of large financial institutions, which was prevented by the bailout of banks by national governments, but stock markets still dropped worldwide. In many areas, the housing market also suffered, resulting in evictions, foreclosures and prolonged unemployment. The crisis played a significant role in the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth estimated in trillions of U.S. dollars, and a downturn in economic activity leading to the 2008–2012 global recession and contributing to the European sovereign-debt crisis. The active phase of the crisis, which manifested as a liquidity crisis, can be dated from August 9, 2007, when BNP Paribas terminated withdrawals from three hedge funds citing "a complete evaporation of liquidity". I bet right now after reading all this mumbo jumbo, you're feeling confused, bored and/or feeling stupid as hell. Well... you're suppose to. The world of finances and business is like that.

The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt. The cast gave outrageous performances and they made us willingly follow these group of, what was originally, uninteresting and not relatable whatsoever. But in the end, made these characters the opposite and made us empathise with their predicament, especially with Carell.

Funny, self-referential, and irreverent to a fault, The Big Short finds Adam McKay and the cast at their comedic best. It is one of the best films of the year and one of the most enjoyable American film to be released this year. It may also be the most exuberant film about financial fraud ever made. A terrific watch, and bound to be one of the funniest films of the year, but perhaps a tad indulgent and lacking the emotional resonance that could've escalated it to truly unmissable status. It is a film that speaks to our times, and it is saying some very important things if we care to listen.

Simon says The Big Short receives: