The most important information I can give you regarding The Big Short is that you will most likely leave the theater a little bit confused. However, if you are anything like me you will spend some time doing research to understand what you just watched. Any film that can make me do some extra research did a good job.
The Truth is Like Poetry And Most People Hate Poetry
The biggest takeaway I had from this film is that I have much to learn when it comes to financial terminology and the housing market. I am a business minor so this is not necessarily my field, but I definitely felt dumb while watching the film. With that said, the film does a good enough job to explain all the terminology so that I could follow along with the plot. I had to really think throughout many scenes, but that is not something the film should be faulted for. In fact, the opposite, I applaud the film for making me consistently thinking about what is going on screen. The film has a very important story to tell about the housing crash that occurred in 2008. I was unaware of the crash because I was still an adolescent at the time, but now that I know I cannot believe how poor the conditions were. In order for the film to effectively inform the audience on what happened there needs to be all the financial terminology that I previously mentioned. This terminology is integrated through the script, which is brought to life through the film’s fantastic actors. Everyone in the film does a great job, but only a few really stand out. For me, the standouts absolutely are Brad Pitt, Steve Carrel, and Christian Bale. Carrel has a few laughs throughout the film, but for the most part he is given dramatic material and he demonstrates (just as he did in Foxcather) that he is not just a funny guy. He has range as an actor, and he proved that once more with this film. Bale is a guy who I already knew had range, but in this film he once again proves how he loses himself in a character. You do not see anyone on screen except the guy who he is playing (Michael Burry). Finally, we have Brad Pitt who stole the show for me. The main reason is because the way he acted fit exactly with how he looked and what I expected from that type of character. He portrays someone who is a retired investor, and he is very paranoid. Pitt portrays this character very naturally, where I only saw Ben Rickert and not Brad Pitt.
There Is Some Shady Shit Going Down
The Big Short presents itself in a very interesting way where it is shot like a documentary, and it often breaks the fourth wall in order to communicate with the audience. It also feels very fast paced through its sporadic editing. However, while all these elements make the film feel unique, they also hurt the film. First of all, the cinematography is not very good. Far too often I noticed that characters were out of focus, and being someone who shoots short films, I thought I could do a better job filming. I understand that they were trying to make it look like a documentary, but that does not excuse poor cinematography. Secondly, whenever they broke the forth wall it felt too out of place. Instead of feeling seamless, it felt forced and did not fit with the way the filmmakers were shooting the film. Simply put, addressing the audience made the film feel inconsistent with the documentary-like filmmaking. It would have been better if characters were aware of the camera and they were interviewed at various point of the film. Finally, the editing came across as pretentious. There were too many quick cuts, irrelevant videos, and jarring musical selections. All of these elements took me out of the film completely. It just felt like the film did not know what it wanted to be, and settled on a hodgepodge of several cinematic elements.
Closing Remarks
It may seem like I did not like the film, but I quite enjoyed it. Some of the stylistic choices took me out of the film, but there is enough good story, solid writing, and memorable acting to enjoy. If for nothing else, this is an important film to watch because it will teach you something new.