The Big Short (15)

I've been angry about the financial crisis pretty much since it happened.

I've read books on the subject, I've watched documentaries, I've followed the news - it affected all of us, so it's good to know who screwed up.

For me, Michael Lewis - author of The Big Short - has been the guy to turn to, so it was not without some excitement that I sat down to watch the film version.

And it left me angry all over again. And very scared about the future of our water supplies.

But not because it's a bad film - far from it.

I'm angry because they did such a good job, and it reminded me off all the steps that could have been avoided as the financial sector sang and danced its way to our oblivion.

If you're not really aware of what went down between 2006 and 2008, watch this film.

If you are aware, watch this film anyway.

If you think it'll be full of complicated financial jargon that will fly over your head, watch this film. It's full of jargon, but they do their best to explain it.

And they do a good job.

Thanks to Margot Robbie in a bath, Selena Gomez in a casino and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, the way bad debt was sliced and diced and repackaged and then traded is broken down and served up in easy-to-grasp segments.

And it's segments like this that give the film it's heart.

Because it sure as hell doesn't come from the main characters.

That's not to suggest there are bad performances here - far from it. Christian Bale is odds on to win Best Supporting Actor at The Oscars (and not just because his character has a glass eye), while Steve Carell continues to prove himself a quality dramatic actor.

Then there's Ryan Gosling. Who knew a guy who's been playing the same role for years had this performance in him?

No, the reason this film struggles to have a heart is because all the main characters are bad guys.

Yes, they spot the problem, but there reaction isn't to alert the masses but rather to make money from it.

And loads of it.

Sure, OK, they feel a bit guilty, but not so guilty that they cease trading and turn whistleblowers. Oh no.

And that's the other hard sell this film has to get around.

It's trying to make a complex issue entertaining yet informative by telling it through the actions of a group of people you can't stand.

It's full credit, then, to director Adam McKay that he pulls it off. Who knew the guy that forced Anchorman on the world had this in him?

Maybe he should leave Will Ferrell at home more often.

This isn't a straightforward film either, and it's this that also helps get the story across.

By breaking the fourth wall and having characters talk straight to the audience, you can engage more readily with the unfolding shit storm.

And the adding of a few music video sensibilities and touches also helps the whole thing trip along at a fair old pace.

That's not to say it's a perfect film.

It has the odd editing issue and at times the use of music detracts rather than adds to proceedings - but never in a way as to ruin your enjoyment of the film.

The Big Short is a story that needs to be told, and a story you need to see and understand.

The idiots and crooks, the screwed up systems - they're all still in place. And the more you watch the film you realise this could all happen again.

And probably will, because while there's money to be made there's people who will do anything to make it.

Angry yet?

(If for some reason you're not, go and read The Big Short, then Liar's Poker, then Boomerang. Then Too Big To Fail. Then watch Too Big To Fail, then Inside Job then Margin Call. It's too an important an issue not to)