The Big Short - Le Casse du siècle par TheoC

The Big Short walks a fine line between showing the glamour and wealth of Wall Street's world and grossing you out by delivering informations like punches.

We follow several small players of the industry who saw the 2007 economical crisis coming before anyone else. The characters are all flawed, we can see how they don't fit with the rest of Wall Street yet it makes them likable compared to the inhuman pursuit of fraud and profit from everywhere else. I particularly liked Michael Burry and Mark Baum as they have the most distinctive characters and we empathize with their imperfections.

I liked this movie because it manages to explain a LOT of technical terms and intricacies of the origin of the crisis while remaining very entertaining. Sure, all All Stars cast helps in that aspect but that's only part of it. The film's editing is fast paced, you have numerous 4th wall breaks that keeps asking directly to your attention to keep you engaged. Not all of these breaks are perfect, in particular when the narrative breaks to switch to famous people explaining technical terms : Margot Robbie, Anthony Bourdain et Selena Gomez ; it's really hit or miss. In my opinion, Antony Bourdain's fish soup analogy is very smart and a good explanation. However Selena Gomez is straight up random and Margot Robbie except for the surprise effect could have been done better. Then again, who am I to complain about Margot Robbie in a bubble bath right?

We should think of The Big Short as an entertaining warning not to repeat our mistakes and create a more regulated environment for finance. Alas, I read only yesterday that in 2016 the risk on stocks has never been rated higher. Yet, the market is booming. I know nothing but it makes me scared. I'm reminded of a proverb from Confucius : Experience is a lantern you wear on your back and only light the way behind you

The Big Short is a great film but I'm not sure I want to see a sequel...