I’ve been reviewing all kinds of media for quite some time now, about 8 years, and never have I come across something as strange as The Big Short. There was an odd feeling I felt throughout the whole film, that it was a mess while at the same time being a great film.
There are a lot of confusing choices made in the film, but also a lot of good ones; and it builds this kind of inconsistency which makes the film just seem weird. By all means The Big Short isn’t a bad movie, but it has the flaws to make it seem like it is. It’s easily one of the oddest films to of come out in 2015.
One of the most notable issues with the film is the montage sequences. Montages are great, but what “The Big Short” has trouble with is the fact that they don’t make any sense. All of the montages seem completely out of context and I was more than confused as to why they were put in the film in the first place. These include photos which don’t fit the proper dimensions, and it makes the film seem like a High School video project at some points in the film.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the clever way the film explains the complex words that admittedly most of us don’t know. The Big Short does some fourth wall breaking as some of the actors talk to the camera to explain what’s going on and why it is important.
While sometimes the characters in the movie do (generally talking to us, the audience) it’ll cut away to a random celebrity cameos to put the fancy words into layman’s terms. The celebrity cameos also do a good job of explaining the terms and ideas by comparing it to everyday things we can all easily understand. These were some of the most fun parts of the movie, with regards to the sheer randomness of it all.
Another thing that The Big Short has going for it is the talented cast. Special recognition should be given to Steve Carrel and Christian Bale’s performances. Both of them pull off their roles incredibly well; perhaps it’s because both actors met with their real life counterparts.
Either way, they both make their characters pop and be memorable. From Carrel’s stubborn and dedicated hothead to Bale’s more quirky and introverted speed metal enthusiast. Ryan Gosling also gives a great performances as the more smug one of the bunch. The supporting cast all do great as well, and make their characters seem real.
One of the things The Big Short does is it never truly builds up. Throughout the whole film everything seems completely normal and little changes, events just happening with its cast. It seems like the climax and conclusion happen all at once, seemingly out of the blue.
While at first glance it may seem like an odd (and maybe even poor) choice for the film, it can be seen as a reflection of what actually happened. The housing bubble seemingly popped out of nowhere, and everything happened at once. The film’s usage of its timeline and how quick everything happens is just like what happened then.
The Big Short is arguably one of the strangest movies to grace 2015. It goes between a student’s film project to one of the most interesting films of 2015. The film blends the drama and comedy quite well, and it all feels natural.
Nothing in the film feels forced, from the mannerisms of the characters to the terminology they use. When a film is based on a true story, if it doesn’t feel real then it has failed. Luckily, “The Big Short” manages to succeed with one of the oddest films of the year.
