The Big Short (2015)
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About the Film
The Big Short is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama directed by Adam McKay, based on Michael Lewis's 2010 nonfiction book about the 2007-2008 financial crisis. The film follows several real individuals who predicted the collapse of the U.S. housing market and bet against the banks by purchasing credit default swaps: Michael Burry, an eccentric hedge fund manager played by Christian Bale; Mark Baum, a cynical fund manager played by Steve Carell; Jared Vennett, a Deutsche Bank trader played by Ryan Gosling; and two young investors guided by retired banker Ben Rickert played by Brad Pitt. Adam McKay's greatest innovation was his approach to explaining the complex financial instruments — mortgage-backed securities, synthetic CDOs, credit default swaps — that caused the crisis.
Rather than dumbing down the material, he used fourth-wall-breaking celebrity cameos (Margot Robbie explaining subprime mortgages from a bubble bath, Anthony Bourdain using leftover fish to explain CDOs) that were simultaneously hilarious and genuinely educational. Christian Bale's portrayal of the socially awkward, glass-eyed Michael Burry earned him an Academy Award nomination. The Big Short won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and earned $133 million worldwide on a $28 million budget.
