Read Mixed User Reviews for The Big Short

4

bamendolApr 3, 2016

This movie feels largely contrived. The jokes land flat. Fortunately it can stand as a watchable film because it is based on a compelling book and has a good cast.

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6

TheApplegnomeJan 13, 2016

An overly complex ride into the real truth of our globalized & capitalized world. ’The Big-falls just-Short’ behind from being a great true story -- with a clever and advanced plot, but too vaguely visualized characters is a fact. There’reAn overly complex ride into the real truth of our globalized & capitalized world. ’The Big-falls just-Short’ behind from being a great true story -- with a clever and advanced plot, but too vaguely visualized characters is a fact. There’re some great depth to the characters, but they never give any real excitement -- even though that there are some few, even smart, moments to them. Great acting and writing is a present aspect yes, and the vast ambitious story tries to simplify many definitions that’s too complex for the normal citizen to understand -- but mostly fail due to the lack of even more simplifications. This is a pure dialog-driven film, and it can be draggy. But it still does manage to bring many realistic facts to life, but ”the normal man isn’t knowledgeable enough” -- that’s the major flaw of this ’Parks and Recreation-ish’ direction flick.

Personal rating: 65/100
Critical rating: 72/100… Expand

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6

AxeTJan 16, 2016

The reason to see this is the cast of leads who are all good in their individual quirky character ways as well as the irreverent comedy made out of the Wall Street meltdown in 2008. It takes chances using offbeat conventions that are nothingThe reason to see this is the cast of leads who are all good in their individual quirky character ways as well as the irreverent comedy made out of the Wall Street meltdown in 2008. It takes chances using offbeat conventions that are nothing new but unexpected for this subject. However it is horribly shot emulating a show like "The Office" and is fairly sloppily edited at least in the cutting sense. There is no reason ever to have that phony cinema vérité video look for a theatrical motion picture. It's an all too common dumb choice by filmmakers believing it makes it more real. Hey I'll watch "60 Minutes" if I want real!
Then again the director here has no sense of style, only a frat boy sense of humor. It's funny at times yeah and yet tackles the complex content surprisingly efficiently, and that comes close to overriding the annoyances. The Academy sheep didn't seem to mind them and nominated it best picture along with its slob director. Ironic since it's that very sheep like mentality that the film is critical of.… Expand

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6

EludiumQ36Jul 9, 2016

I don't get all the enthusiasm for this film, maybe it's just fascination with A-list actors (Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale), and celeb cameos: overexposed Margot Robbie - in a bubble bath no less - explaining MBSes, AnthonyI don't get all the enthusiasm for this film, maybe it's just fascination with A-list actors (Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale), and celeb cameos: overexposed Margot Robbie - in a bubble bath no less - explaining MBSes, Anthony Bourdain explaining CDOs, and chipmunk-faced ditz Selena Gomez explaining synthetic CDOs. Yes, they're trying to liven up an otherwise boring topic that's more suitable as a documentary than a film drama, but they risk coming off as contrived, trying too hard. I think that's what aggravated me most; not everything is suitable for the theater, some stories are best done as television documentaries, and some are more suitable as a mini-series.… Expand

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6

GreatMartinJan 1, 2016

For many years I have said that my brother got the money gene and I got the good looking gene and, once again, “The Big Short” may prove that true. The film is about the financial collapse in 2008 and those who made billions of dollarsFor many years I have said that my brother got the money gene and I got the good looking gene and, once again, “The Big Short” may prove that true. The film is about the financial collapse in 2008 and those who made billions of dollars while an unaccountable number of people lost their homes and/or jobs. Much is made of the fact that many behind the scene, knowing what was going on, didn’t do a thing to stop it and got away scot free.

The film, with humor at odds with the theme, tries to explain exactly how the collapse came about in terms that even people like me might understand including the actors talking to the audience. This latter gimmick is at first interesting, including Margot Robbie in a bubble bath drinking champagne and later Selena Gomez gambling in a Las Vegas casino explaining aspects of subprime mortgages, loans and other finances but it eventually becomes distracting when an actor breaks the fourth wall, making you tune out on what is being said.

Though it is very much an ensemble film certain actors stand out such as Brad Pitt, almost unrecognizable until you realize who it is, playing a retired banker, Christian Bale as, to say the least, a very eccentric hedge fund manager, Ryan Gosling as an investor and Steve Carell as a rude trader. Marisa Tomei and Melissa Leo, though good are more or less wasted.

What interested me were the actors I didn’t know or did know but couldn’t name them. In the former group was Finn Wittrock as a young investor and Rafe Spall, both very impressive, and in the latter Jeremy Strong, Hamish Linklater and Adepero Oduye.

Though the writers Charles Randolph and Adam McKay wrote the screen play, based on the book by Michael Lewis, using humor just doesn’t sit right with a subject we know does not have happy ending and brought the USA on the verge of collapse, affected the rest of the world and still does. The direction by McKay is hectic; the editing by Hank Corwin is confusing and the music, at times, jars the audience out of the movie.

Money gene or not, understanding finance or not, I found the actors more interesting than I did the movie. “The Big Short”, by its subject alone, should have been more effective even though you will shake your head as the screen shows what didn’t happen to the ones who caused the collapse.… Expand

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5

NickTheCritickApr 12, 2022

A very conceited film, I just can't like the style of this director. His direction and editing create a nervous breakdown in me.

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5

NedRyerson1Feb 23, 2016

The Big Short is like the plot that should have supported the emptiness of The Wolf of Wall Street. Since the trailer you realize that the topic is dense and no suitable for general public; it’s about the housing market crisis of 2008. So theThe Big Short is like the plot that should have supported the emptiness of The Wolf of Wall Street. Since the trailer you realize that the topic is dense and no suitable for general public; it’s about the housing market crisis of 2008. So the movie really starts hard to follow, the director absolutely nailed it with the original idea for explaining for dummies the financial concepts, laws and principles; making this film a lot more pleasant, although it’s still too technical. Obviously if you are part of the business world, you will understand everything from more complex theories to jokes. The thing is that common people don’t know anything about that world, not even the language, so the experts can do whatever they want and you won’t even notice, simply letting it happen. The interesting part is that this situation not only occurs in economy, but also in politics, religion, science and more, a few make decisions that affect the bunch; and ignorance is their blessing. Holding this topic is an impeccable editing and with Steve Carell’s acting are certainly the most remarkable things in the picture. Christian Bale had definitely done better, Brad Pitt is nothing but filling and the rest of the cast is just ordinary. With a less technical script would have been much better.… Expand

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6

AliceofXFeb 2, 2016

This is the part where I would say The Big Short is a movie about this or that, but I'm not sure if I can even call it a movie. It seems more like a high quality docudrama with some parts like something out of a Youtube video. It's veryThis is the part where I would say The Big Short is a movie about this or that, but I'm not sure if I can even call it a movie. It seems more like a high quality docudrama with some parts like something out of a Youtube video. It's very informative if verging on being too wordy.

However I'm struggling to find more words for it. Its lack of a people centred narrative makes it hard to compare to other films. The film's main star is facts and hard history and that might be offsetting to some viewers. But to be fair I'm not sure how it could have been done differently.

How do you make a movie about such complicated and hard to understand things without giving the audience a bunch of lessons? To the film makers credit The Big Short is a fun film, it certainly won't bore you, which is not an easy feat to manage with such material.

It is well acted even if the actors don't have much to do and there are some emotional moments. I think the brightest gem in this is Steve Carell and he's very much the star of the film.

Overall The Big Short is a good film, it's enjoyable, but there's not much more to say about it afterwards.… Expand

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6

MattBrady99Feb 16, 2016

So I've finally saw The Big Short this week and I thought it was pretty average. Steve Carell, Christian Bale and Brad Pitt all gave terrific performances, and I'm so happy that "Foxcatcher" wasn't just a one off for Steve Carell. The writingSo I've finally saw The Big Short this week and I thought it was pretty average. Steve Carell, Christian Bale and Brad Pitt all gave terrific performances, and I'm so happy that "Foxcatcher" wasn't just a one off for Steve Carell. The writing was great and some of the 4th wall breaking in this movie was good, and yes the characters actually do turn to the camera and say whatever their thinking.

I like Ryan Gosling a lot as an actor, but in this movie he didn't do anything that special (in my opinion). I just wish there was a little bit more to his character then what we got. I'm not saying that his the worse part of the movie, but he's only there to narrate the story and explain a lot of things that happen in the film.

The style of the movie did get on nerves a little a bit and I know it may not bother other people, but it did for me. Some of the 4th wall breaking and the directing decisions doesn't always hit as it whats to.

Overall The Big Short is a decent movie with knock out performances. I know a lot of people either like or love this movie (from what I've seen), and I can understand why since there's a lot to like in this film.… Expand

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6

pureshoresMar 25, 2016

Okay I admit I didn't really get the whole housing mortgage crisis. Yes, even with Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez helping out, it was just too complex for me. And maybe that's where the problem started for me. Otherwise everything else wereOkay I admit I didn't really get the whole housing mortgage crisis. Yes, even with Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez helping out, it was just too complex for me. And maybe that's where the problem started for me. Otherwise everything else were good though I feel Christian Bale was a little underused. Maybe he's better when exchanging lines with an ensemble versus on his own.… Expand

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4

o___0Aug 17, 2016

Though the film tests the limits of its genre effectively, one leaves wondering whether a documentary on these real-life events would have been more entertaining and enlightening.

By breaking the fourth wall, the movie sneaks in importantThough the film tests the limits of its genre effectively, one leaves wondering whether a documentary on these real-life events would have been more entertaining and enlightening.

By breaking the fourth wall, the movie sneaks in important information and cheekily establishes a rapport with the viewer. For instance, the film eschews tedious and unrealistic expository dialogue in favor of mini-explanations by celebrities. When something particularly cinematic happens, Ryan Gosling addresses the viewer and tells us whether it did or did not actually happen. Despite the seriousness of the topic, these techniques create a light-hearted tone.

But despite the recent flood of biopics and based-on-a-true-story films, the dramatization of this story does not strike the viewer as the most effective narrative choice. If Gosling needs to reveal to us what is real and what is dramatized, wouldn’t it be more to the point if it were...all real? And wouldn’t the strange cameos be rendered unnecessary if the movie found a way to explain key points in a way that wasn’t condescending? If nothing visually interesting is truly happening in the narrative (thus the need to add objectified women as eye-candy), why did they think reenacting these scenes would be cinematic at all? Most vexingly, the genre has an obsession with nailing its characters’ idiosyncrasies as if to prove that it’s done its homework. Though each character in this film is undoubtedly eccentric, attempts to characterize them quickly become boring and seem two-dimensional - particularly because none of the five main characters are developed enough to be likable.

One of the praises of the movie is its ability to inform while entertaining. However, documentaries like “Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room”, “We’re Not Broke”, and “Inside Job” have proven highly informative as well as engrossing. The subject matter - that of the largest legal robbery of American taxpayers in recent history, and the men who figured it all out - is exciting enough to carry a movie that doesn’t condescend to its viewers, endorse sexism, or invent narrative fluff.… Expand

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6

BroyaxJan 10, 2017

Je ne sais pas quoi penser de ce film. J'ai la tête farcie de cette chiasse à "traders", de leurs montages financiers à la mords-moi-le-zob et je me disais par devers moi que faire un film de 3h là-dessus, c'est un peu fort de café. Or, il seJe ne sais pas quoi penser de ce film. J'ai la tête farcie de cette chiasse à "traders", de leurs montages financiers à la mords-moi-le-zob et je me disais par devers moi que faire un film de 3h là-dessus, c'est un peu fort de café. Or, il se trouve que le "Big Short" ne fait "qu'environ" 2h : c'est trop, beaucoup trop.

Malgré les métaphores pour nous expliquer toutes les magouilles, on est pas sûr de tout comprendre mais ne vous en faites pas, ma petite dame (la ménagère de moins de 50 ans, cela va sans dire) ils n'y comprennent rien non plus. Ou du moins, c'est ce qu'ils s'efforcent de nous faire comprendre, car à menteur, menteur et demi.

Après un tel film auquel on doit reconnaître à tout le moins son taux assez élevé de dénonciation des bâtards de la maille et pourquoi pas, d'insurrection morale légitime, on n'a qu'une envie : prendre son 4x4 et défoncer la première agence venue. Mais ne le faites pas, il s'agit d'une vue de l'esprit et ce serait faire le lit rampant de l'extrême-gauche et autres anarcho-gauchistes : des deux maux, autant choisir le moindre, car on sait les dégâts du stalino-communisme.

Le film n'est pas du tout une comédie mais parvient malgré sa densité qui veut nous noyer dans les affres de la délinquance boursière à conserver un ton cynique et désabusé du début à la fin, grâce aux acteurs qui donnent le meilleur d'eux-mêmes -même Brad Pitre et c'est à souligner, s'avère supportable en fin de compte (!). Gosling, Bale et Farrell forment en tout cas un trio de choc.

On se sent un peu abruti, énervé, révolté et dépité à l'issue de ce festival de magouillage pyramidal, une impression somme toute (!) désagréable : j'aurais préféré plus de verve et de satire, histoire d'en rire un peu, sans doute parce que je reste à mon insu un con de consommateur capitaliste.… Expand

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6

o_retyAug 23, 2020

Solid, but modern. All the usual suspects are present. A hip editing - check, 4th wall-braking winks - check, non-existent story/characters - check. The theme is both interesting and important, but all you're gonna get is only a slick, MTVSolid, but modern. All the usual suspects are present. A hip editing - check, 4th wall-braking winks - check, non-existent story/characters - check. The theme is both interesting and important, but all you're gonna get is only a slick, MTV treatment of it.… Expand

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