The Big Short (2015)

[Frayed Knot]

At first I read this as 'The Big Short[u:2gwsn9g9]s[/u:2gwsn9g9]' and wondered why they were making a movie about what Bartolo wears underneath his uniform ... but it turns out that 'Short' is singular and is instead about the financial crisis of 2007-8 and how a handful of oddballs and outsiders decide that not only is the system broken, complacent, and corrupt, but it's also stupid.

Adopted from the Michael Lewis book (a la 'Moneyball') and directed/co-written by a guy (Adam McCay) who has mostly specialized in directing/writing some of the sillier aspects of Will Ferrell's movie career ('Talladega Nights', 'Anchorman(s)', 'Step-Brothers', etc.), it all seems like an odd fit for a movie and for the principals involved.

Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, and Christian Bale star, along with some unexpected guest appearances -- chef Anthony Bordain, sex-pot Margot Robbie, pop-tart Selena Gomez -- who appear as themselves to help explain some of the more arcane financial details and advance the story. No, really, they do.

[Vic Sage]

cleverly told and terrifying, with some great performances.

[Guest sharpie]

Liked it alot. Great perfomances in a funny and terrifying film.

[Frayed Knot]

'Clever' is a good word for it. I didn't read the book in this case but, as with 'Moneyball', it's not a topic I would have thought of as something that lent itself to a movie treatment - probably even more so in this case.
But it manages to translate the dense and arcane into something relatively easy to follow, and the serene Pitt, the very angry Carrell, the smarmy Gosling, and the oddest of oddballs Bale make for some great and contrasting characters.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Had anyone who's seen this read the book? Having read it myself, I'm wondering if I need to make time to see this.

[Frayed Knot]

Well, unless you're from the camp who prefers not to see a movie made from a book you really like, I think you should make time to see it regardless of whether or not you read the source material.
I mean I'm sure the flick has a fraction of the details, explanations, or backstory as compared to the book, plus it certainly takes some unconventional routes towards filling in some of the details (the aforementioned 'guest stars' popping in to break down the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience), but I think it all works and works quite well quirks and all.