An excellent cast makes this look at the start of the 2008 financial crisis very engaging
Margin Call
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The story which comes slowly to light is about the start of the 2007-2008 financial crisis in The United States of America. Nothing about the script suggests this is meant to be a mystery it is just that the movie was released 3 years after the crisis started. 10 years later it took me a little time to connect the dots. Great movies are timeless and Margin Call is a good movie that looks like a great one thanks to an exceptional cast and excellent production values. It is a debut for writer/director J.C. Chandor and well the script probably could have been tightened up the cast is so engaging I can’t think of a scene I would want to cut. On the directing side he does a very capable job and avoids unnecessary flair. This movie is scenes of people talking, that’s it. It is shot simply and directly. It is up to the actors to engage us, which they do. The cast is made up of A list talent but not A list stars which in a serious drama is often the best thing. The events take place over just 24 hours inside one financial firm where amid massive downsizing first one and then a second employee see the inherent instability in the financial market that will lead to the crisis of 2007-2008. It simply should not be this fascinating to watch a bunch of rich white guys discuss the how much money they are going to lose and how they might be able to save themselves at other peoples expense and then try to justify it. Part of what makes it work so well is that each character is uniquely interesting and a whole person. They are largely in the same boat but they are not clones and the script is as much about them as their decisions. This is important because we know the outcome so there is little suspense. There are so many great performances: Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci. Among such illustrious company I was super impressed by Zachary Quinto who’s character is the closest we come to a protagonist. I think the best performance is by Paul Bethany. He benefits from having the best character and I am a huge fan but I think this is Oscar calibre and the best performance of his I have seen to date. I want to give a shout out to Mary McDonnell who is brilliant and memorable in her single scene. The only sour note for me was Demi Moore. To be fair I am not a fan, so maybe it is just me but her performance rang a false in a key role. It is stands out all the more as hers is the only significant female role. I was impressed by the lack of moralizing in the script. There is no big scene of protest. No one stands up for the little guy. There is no moral centre here. This works because Chandor’s script does not judge the characters it simply observes them. It is the scripts great strength. There are flaws here but it looks great and the actors are riveting from start to finish.
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Where to watch
Steaming on Netflix