Margin Call

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Mary McDonnell
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The key employees at a large corporate firm struggle with the impending financial meltdown and the implications of that for their firm.

Review:

Tim: Margin Call is an interesting movie. The film was a small little release that most people did not see. It made only $5 million in a limited release (but did recoup its budget). It also was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. I thought this film was entertaining and interesting, and it has an almost unbelievably good cast. The film is very talky, but it's fascinating.

It's important to note that this movie isn't a documentary- it takes liberties with what actually caused the financial meltdown of 2008 and how it all went down. This film isn't an accurate portrayal of that, but it works extremely well as a piece of fiction. I thought the story was interesting and engaging, and it worked as a piece of entertainment. I was fine that this film wasn't 100% accurate.

The cast is just incredible, and I want to spend some time talking about it. Kevin Spacey is very good (as usual). He played an important role, although he wasn't really the lead. He is an intelligent actor and I thought he was believable as a lifetime corporate employee. There were a few moments with scenes about his dog that did feel out of place and a bit much. His acting limits were pushed at these moments and I didn't really believe him. Other than that, he was very good. Paul Bettany was great- I really liked him in this role and enjoyed his performance. He worked exceptionally well with the rest of the cast. Jeremy Iron was another inspired casting choice. His entrance into the film is impressive, and immediately changes the dynamic of the cast. Zachary Quinto was good (but certainly not great). He worked well in the part and I think he'll continue to be successful in his career. I just think that surrounded by so many terrific actors, his performance didn't shine quite as much. Penn Badgley was the weakest actor in the cast. Simon Baker was a fantastic addition and I really enjoyed him in the film. He reminded me of big time corporate hotshots that I've met in real life. Demi Moore was probably the 2nd worst cast member. I just did not believe her performance at all, as it seemed quite forced. Stanley Tucci is always a great addition, and I loved him in this film. I also really like Mary McDonnell, but she's in the film for only a minute or so, and doesn't add much.

I mentioned that this movie is very talky. Not much actually happens in this film. It's basically the cast talking the entire movie (or on occasion, driving in cars). Now, this might not seem to be too exciting, and it easily could have led to a real snore fest. However, the film's script is so well written that it never feels like a chore. We're watching corporate leaders go into full on panic mode, trying desperately to save themselves and their corporate. The political wheeling and dealing is fascinating to watch. I'm glad the script was nominated for an Academy Award, because it makes a talking-only movie fascinating and entertaining.

Margin Call is a really good movie and it features such an impressive cast. I loved watching each of the cast members interacting with each other, and I loved the financial bombshell the characters were grappling with. This movie is interesting and very entertaining.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5


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