I’m Trevor with the Sasquatch Movie Minute with a RETRO look at THE BIG SHORT, a 2015 film, directed by Adam McKay, starring Christian Bale. A group of investors bet against the mortgage market during the 2008 financial crisis.

3.5 out of 5

A vastly entertaining, compulsively rewatchable, damn near miraculous depiction of financial minutia in freefall. The film does a fantastic job describing complex stuff; mortgage fraud, CDOs, tranches, and hilariously using Margot Robbie in a bubble bath to metaphorically describe the complicated terminology. I will admit, I didn’t quite understand it all, especially near the end as the byzantine schemes overwhelmed me. And I do find McKay’s social awareness films to be almost unbearably smug. This is all told with a smarter-than-thou juvenile smirk and the tale as a whole is quite grim. The ‘heroes’ are the ones who made money off of the implosion of our economy and the bankruptcy of thousands. That doesn’t feel great. And ending the film with the warning that this all will happen again and that human nature is venal and shitty is a rough conclusion.

Best Scene. When Brad Pitt’s hippie character chastises the excited young traders, reminding them that their millions made are from the destruction of lives. It’s a sobering reminder and we needed more of this over the flashy entertainment.

Best Performance. Ryan Gosling is having a blast. His cocky bullshit swagger is magnetic, I especially liked his screams in the bathroom.

An undeniably fun and slyly informative movie, but I don’t feel good liking it.