The Big Short Review

3.0 Stars

Based on the same housing economic meltdown in 2008, The Big Short covers the story from the different viewpoint of a few who saw it coming.  Michael Burry (Christian Bale), was a physician and hedge fund manager, creator of Scion Capital LLC.  He was the first to recognize the impending doom of the careless practices by financial institutions and bet heavy on the housing market bubble to burst in a big way.  He was so confident in his analysis that he used $1 Billion of his investors money.  Some of his investors were more than displeased and pulled out in 2006 and 2007.  When the market crashed in 2008, Burry profited $100 million for himself and another $700 for his remaining investors.  He was quoted as saying, "I don't go out looking for good shorts.  I'm spending my time looking for good longs."

Banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gossling) and another hedge fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell) caught wind of what Burry was up to and jumped in as well.  Some young investors accidentally discovered what Vennett was up to and talked Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), an ex stocks trader, into taking part. 

The Big Short was nominated for Best Picture of the Year and Bale was nominated for his supporting role.  It won for Best Adapted Screenplay.  The preview looks to be a stinging look at the corporate greed that rocked the world with a bit of humor as a small group forms a bit of a financial coup.  However, the humor is either going to be one of those "it's funnier because it's true" situations, or it will illicit a sort of "ha-ha-ouch" at just how crippling their ignorance and greed was, and still remains today.

I anticipated rating this 3.5 stars.  Throughout the movie, I dropped down to 2.5, but raised it up to a final verdict of 3.0 stars.  It's entertaining, well-acted, but sometimes hard to follow.  What helped me raise it up was that the movie self-admits that it's own subject matter is boring and confusing.  It takes breaks from the film in unique ways to help those of us not in the know what exactly is going on.  I was still confused at parts during the film, but those moments of "banking for dummies" definitely helped.  These breaks are done through an artistic method called "breaking the fourth wall".  In theatre and in film, when you as an audience member are looking at a scene with 3 walls in a room, the fourth wall is assumed to be where the camera is positioned.  You take it for granted that there is a fourth wall and don't think about the cameras and cables and directors and monitors, etc that are actually there.  When an actor on stage acknowledges the audience by speaking directly to them, or in a movie when you are addressed by the actor breaking away from the movie, they are ultimately admitting that there is no fourth wall, that this is just a play or a movie and that there are people watching in one way or another.  Gossling's character helps to drive the story much like a narrator in a Shakespearean play who introduces the plot with a prologue, has a couple recapping monologues and then sums it up with a prologue.  

 

Unfortunately for The Big Short, if you watched any television at all or were on the internet or picked up a paper in late 2008, most of the things covered in the movie, we already knew.  The banks started making more money off of mortgages by clumping them into bundles.  They were secure with the best ratings meaning that there was almost no chance the mortgages wouldn't be paid back.  The banks made a ton of money.  Eventually, housing for the qualified homeowners started to dry up and the bonuses started to shrink.  That's when they started lumping in some riskier mortgages in to the bundle.  No one did background checks and the mortgages written were only for a short introductory period that would then balloon into 200 to 300 per cent of the original payback rate.  When the introductory period ended and millions found they couldn't afford their payments, millions lost their homes and even more lost their jobs and the banks covered it all up.  When the truth was finally discovered, it was too late and the US Government saw no other way to limit and reverse the damages than to shell out billions in taxpayer money to the banks.  This money was used to then pay out big bonuses and only one person ever went to jail.  And the banks are still doing it today,  just with different names.  

 

The Big Short was very well-acted, entertaining, confusing, upsetting, but seeing it once was enough for me.  I might catch it on tv someday, but it won't be making it to my home collected, hence the 3.0 star rating.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

The Big Short Preview

In May of 2011, HBO Films released Too Big to Fail chronicling the bailout of the greedy and irresponsible financial institutions that brought about the biggest economic disaster in world history since the Great Depression.  In the fall of 2008, the market in the US fell over 700 points closing at below 10,000 for the first time in over 4 years.  On the same day, Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia and Iceland reported large economic losses as well.  President George Bush signed a TARP law (Troubled Asset Relief Program) as orchestrated by the US Treasury that gave over 700 Billion dollars to the top financial institutions.  To date, 958 companies received a piece of the taxpayer's money; of which, approximately $390 Billion has been repaid.

Based on the same economic meltdown, The Big Short covers the story from a different viewpoint.  Michael Burry (Christian Bale), was a physician and hedge fund manager, creator of Scion Capital LLC.  He was the first to recognize the impending doom of the careless practices by financial institutions and bet heavy on the housing market bubble to burst in a big way.  He was so confident in his analysis that he used $1 Billion of his investors money.  Some of his investors were more than displeased and pulled out in 2006 and 2007.  When the market crashed in 2008, Burry profited $100 million for himself and another $700 for his remaining investors.  He was quoted as saying, "I don't go out looking for good shorts.  I'm spending my time looking for good longs."

Banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gossling) and another hedge fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell) caught wind of what Burry was up to and jumped in as well.  Some young investors accidentally discovered what Vennett was up to and talked Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt) into taking part.  The group collaborates and ultimately agrees on 3 things: First, what the banks had been doing was wrong both legally and morally; second, that the government and the banks are too caught up in the greed and profit and short term success that they don't see the fall coming; and finally, that they can take advantage of the banks' stupidity.

The Big Short was nominated for Best Picture of the Year and Bale was nominated for his supporting role.  It won for Best Adapted Screenplay.  The preview looks to be a stinging look at the corporate greed that rocked the world with a bit of humor as a small group forms a bit of a financial coup.  However, the humor is either going to be one of those "it's funnier because it's true" situations, or it will illicit a sort of "ha-ha-ouch" at just how crippling their ignorance and greed was, and still remains today.

I'm anticipating 3.5 stars.  It looks very well-written and superbly acted by an all-star cast.  It's a fascinating and upsetting story, but I also have a feeling that this will not be one I'm rushing out to add to my personal home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Boyhood Review

1.5 Stars

 

Director Richard Linklater's 12 year project has concluded in the Oscar-nominated film Boyhood.  Linklater has previously directed A Scanner Darkly, The Bad News Bears, School of Rock, Before Sunrise and Dazed and Confused.  This is Linklater's first time being nominated for Best Picture and Best Director; it's his 3rd time being nominated for Best Writing.  His previous 2 nominations were for Before Midnight and Before Sunset, which he co-wrote with Ethan Hawke who has also starred in many of his films.  Hawke also stars in Boyhood as Mason's father.  His performance has also earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.  This is Hawke's 2nd acting Oscar nomination.  He was previously nominated for his role in Training Day.  Though neither Hawke nor Linklater have won an Oscar, Boyhood did earn the Golden Globe award for Best Director.  In fact, Boyhood has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards.  Patricia Arquette has been nominated for her performance as Mason's mother, and the film is also in the running for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.  

Boyhood is the literal coming-of-age story about a boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he grows from a 6 year old boy into an 18 year old man.  The reason I say literal is because Linklater filmed Coltrane, Arquette and Hawke for days at a time over the 12 year period.  We are allowed to witness Mason and his family not only go through things a normal growing boy would experience (love, divorce, step-parents, sibling rivalry, birthdays, graduations), but we also get to actually watch the family grow and age in this unique cinematic accomplishment.

After watching the preview, I was hoping that the "12 years in the making" thing wasn't just a gimmick and that there was actually a movie worth all the hype waiting behind the title.  I didn't go in with high hopes and only predicted 3.0 stars, but I was honestly disappointed.   Boyhood is nominated for Best Writing, but it felt at times like a re-run of Saved By The Bell or an after school special.   The dialogue didn't feel real.  It felt forced and staged like a high school play.  The film is also nominated for Best Editing, but I found it difficult at times to keep track of time passing throughout the movie.  There didn't seem to be any consistency as to when time passed or how much time has passed.  And it often took a minute to realize time has passed and then to have to figure out who the new characters are. Boyhood is over 2 and a half hours long, but I could have done with about an hour less of this movie that bored me for most of it.  I'm giving it 1.5 stars as being barely worth renting and definitely not being a movie I would ever own.  I give kudos to Linklater for the ambitious project, but Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas took over 3 years to make with only filming seconds a day due to meticulous and innovative stop-motion animation.  Burton's film is still gaining new fans over 20 years later and is now both a Christmas and Halloween classic.  I don't think the gimmick of Boyhood will sustain it for long.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Boyhood Preview

Director Richard Linklater's 12 year project has concluded in the Oscar-nominated film Boyhood.  Linklater has previously directed A Scanner Darkly, The Bad News Bears, School of Rock, Before Sunrise and Dazed and Confused.  This is Linklater's first time being nominated for Best Picture and Best Director; it's his 3rd time being nominated for Best Writing.  His previous 2 nominations were for Before Midnight and Before Sunset, which he co-wrote with Ethan Hawke who has also starred in many of his films.  Hawke also stars in Boyhood as Mason's father.  His performance has also earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.  This is Hawke's 2nd acting Oscar nomination.  He was previously nominated for his role in Training Day.  Though neither Hawke nor Linklater have won an Oscar, Boyhood did earn the Golden Globe award for Best Director.  In fact, Boyhood has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards.  Patricia Arquette has been nominated for her performance as Mason's mother, and the film is also in the running for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.  

Boyhood is the literal coming-of-age story about a boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he grows from a 6 year old boy into an 18 year old man.  The reason I say literal is because Linklater filmed Coltrane, Arquette and Hawke for days at a time over the 12 year period.  We are allowed to witness Mason and his family not only go through things a normal growing boy would experience (love, divorce, step-parents, sibling rivalry, birthdays, graduations), but we also get to actually watch the family grow and age in this unique cinematic accomplishment.

There have been "coming-of-age" movies since they first started making movies.  It's not a new idea.  But usually it's about a teen or a pre-teen and what they go through in school, or with a love interest, or a family drama.  But these movies usually just limit themselves to a day in the life, or maybe a year.   It's about losing a bit of innocence or naivety, it's about having to grow up in a sense when solid, beautiful, vibrant colors all of a sudden have darker hues to them.  We've also seen movies that have spanned periods of time.  Mr. Holland's Opus spans 30 years, but their son is played by 3 different actors throughout the movie.  The Butler spans about 60 years, but uses different actors and lots of special effects make-up to achieve aging.  This is the first movie to cover this large of a time period using all the same actors to portray the same main characters throughout.  That being said, that's really all that looks unique about Boyhood.  It looks like it will have moments that make you laugh, make you sad, and make you reminisce, but all of the good ones do that as well.  I'm hoping the "12 years in the making" thing isn't just a gimmick and that there is actually a movie worth all the hype and nominations waiting behind the title.  I'm not going in with high hopes.  I'm predicting 3.0 stars.  I think it will be enjoyable.  I think it will be something I'd watch again when it's on TV, but nothing about the preview makes me immediately think this will be a movie I own in my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

The Grand Budapest Hotel Review

3.0 Stars

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is the latest creation from comedic genius Wes Anderson.  Anderson is also responsible for giving us the quirky and brilliantly written Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Rushmore.  Anderson is up for 3 Oscars this year for The Grand Budapest Hotel: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing.  Anderson was nominated for Best Writing for Moonrise Kingdom, Best Animated Feature Film for Fantastic Mr. Fox and for Best Writing for The Royal Tenenbaums, though he has yet to win an Oscar.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of a famous concierge named M. Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) at a luxurious hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka and takes place between the first and second World Wars.  It is also the story of his protege Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the Lobby Boy who eventually took over the hotel.

Anderson has assembled some of his band of merry men that you would see in many of his films: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman.  And, like many of his films, some of Hollywood's best talent have come out to take part in the merriment: F. Murray Abraham, Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Edward Norton to name a few.  Another common trait of an Anderson masterpiece is to take what would normally be a dramatic topic and turn it on it's head with some smart and well-written comedy.  He's already tackled grief, loss, abandonment, sibling rivalry and other hard-hitting themes.  In The Grand Budapest Hotel, he adds murder to the list.

The preview is a very accurate representation of what you get in the full movie.  Even if you didn't see the preview, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect if you have seen any other Wes Anderson movie.  The dialogue is fantastic.  The settings are gorgeous.  The characters are ridiculous but somehow believable.  The story is actually about the Lobby Boy Zero (Tony Revolori and F. Murray Abraham) who comes to own The Grand Budapest Hotel and how he was mentored by the best concierge in the business, M. Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes).  Gustave is the most accommodating concierge around, especially to older, blonde, wealthy women who return regularly for his . . . services, to put it delicately.  One of his regulars was murdered and Gustave is their primary suspect.  This movie has everything: it's a love story, it's a murder mystery, it's a prison escape, and it's hilarious.  However, I'm giving it 3.0 stars.  I thought it worth the money in the theatres.  I'll probably watch it again when it's on TV, but it most likely won't make it to my home collection and I don't see this winning Best Picture.  Perhaps for Best Original Screenplay, but not Best Picture.  So, what Oscar-nominated movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Grand Budapest Hotel Preview

The Grand Budapest Hotel is the latest creation from comedic genius Wes Anderson.  Anderson is also responsible for giving us the quirky and brilliantly written Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Rushmore.  Anderson is up for 3 Oscars this year for The Grand Budapest Hotel: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing.  Anderson was nominated for Best Writing for Moonrise Kingdom, Best Animated Feature Film for Fantastic Mr. Fox and for Best Writing for The Royal Tenenbaums, though he has yet to win an Oscar.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of a famous concierge named M. Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) at a luxurious hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka and takes place between the first and second World Wars.  It is also the story of his protege Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the Lobby Boy who eventually took over the hotel.

Anderson has assembled some of his band of merry men that you would see in many of his films: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman.  And, like many of his films, some of Hollywood's best talent have come out to take part in the merriment: F. Murray Abraham, Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Edward Norton to name a few.  Another common trait of an Anderson masterpiece is to take what would normally be a dramatic topic and turn it on it's head with some smart and well-written comedy.  He's already tackled grief, loss, abandonment, sibling rivalry and other hard-hitting themes.  In The Grand Budapest Hotel, he adds murder to the list.

The preview is quick-witted and fast-paced as one would expect of Wes Anderson.  We are immediately introduced to Zero (the Lobby Boy in Training), M. Gustave H (the most accommodating concierge ever), The Grand Budapest Hotel (the finest hotel around that serves as the setting for the story), and that Gustave is being accused of murdering one of his guests.  It looks like another wonderfully and irreverently raucously riotous film in the repertoire of Anderson.  I've enjoyed all of his films, so I have no doubt I'll enjoy this one.  I'm predicting 4.0 stars: I'll think it well worth the price of admission and it has a good likelihood of making it to my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.