You might have heard people shouting "greed" following the financial meltdown that precipitated in 2007. In this movie, the director J C Chandor explores this topic by showing us what might have happened during the initial days when everything plunged into the abyss. He weaves drama by drawing heavy inspiration from headlines and real-life scenarios and does a commendable job at the end.
The movie details what transpires in less than two days in a fictional investment bank just before everything went south. The movie starts with a round of layoff happening in the firm. When a junior analyst is inspired by an warning by a laid-off employee, he burns the midnight oil and cracks a puzzle that has been worrying the latter. The puzzle, when solved, reveals an ugly picture. This is where all superiors get involved to manage the situation. How they do it is again another revelation of what greed can accomplish.
The success of the movie is due to many factors. As with any drama, there is conflict. The conflict snowballs through different levels in the organization across age groups. What comes out of every performer are the raw emotions of the people trapped in comfort and success which makes this movie worthwhile to watch. The financial world is difficult to understand. The director makes it very easy to understand for everyone by cleverly placing characters in the movie which demands simpler explanation. As a result, the viewer is not lost in the proceedings. In the visuals, NY skyline plays an important role. The skyline is in the background and seen through the glass windows. But it is beautifully shot to heighten the tension unfolding in the foreground.
It is a director's movie. The director has able support from seasoned players like Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci. The relatively new Zachary Quinto also puts in a good performance.
Go for it.
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Rating: ****
Brilliant movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice review too. I'm sure many would've missed this film
ReplyDeleteDitto for me. I loved the movie too
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