The Big Short (2015)

In 2006-7 a group of investors bet against the US mortgage market. In their research they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.

Director:

Adam McKay

Writers:

Charles Randolph (screenplay by), Adam McKay (screenplay by)

Stars:

Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling

Won 1 Oscar. Another 37 wins & 80 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Gosling	...	Jared Vennett
Rudy Eisenzopf	...	Lewis Ranieri
Casey Groves	...	Fund Manager
Charlie Talbert	...	Lewis Bond Trader
Harold Gervais	...	Lewis Bond Trader
Maria Frangos	...	Exotic Dancer
Christian Bale	...	Michael Burry
Hunter Burke	...	Analyst
Bernard Hocke	...	Coach
Shauna Rappold	...	Michael Burry's Mom
Brandon Stacy	...	Michael Burry's Dad
Aiden Flowers	...	Young Michael Burry
Peter Epstein	...	Paul Baum
Anthony Marble	...	Therapy Businessman
Silas Cooper	...	Therapy Businessman

Storyline

Three separate but parallel stories of the U.S mortgage housing crisis of 2005 are told. Michael Burry, an eccentric ex-physician turned one-eyed Scion Capital hedge fund manager, has traded traditional office attire for shorts, bare feet and a Supercuts haircut. He believes that the US housing market is built on a bubble that will burst within the next few years. Autonomy within the company allows Burry to do largely as he pleases, so Burry proceeds to bet against the housing market with the banks, who are more than happy to accept his proposal for something that has never happened in American history. The banks believe that Burry is a crackpot and therefore are confident in that they will win the deal. Jared Vennett with Deutschebank gets wind of what Burry is doing and, as an investor believes he too can cash in on Burry's beliefs. An errant telephone call to FrontPoint Partners gets this information into the hands of Mark Baum, an idealist who is fed up with the corruption in the ...

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Plot Keywords:

finance | bank | banking | mortgage | fraud | 

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Taglines:

This is a true story

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Big Short

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$705,527, 13 December 2015

Gross USA:

$70,259,870

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$133,440,870

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Regency Enterprises, Plan B Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat DTS (DTS: X)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Burry's cell phone number (603-320-7220) appears once in the movie. It is actually the business number for Geaux Video, LLC, owned by Zack Holmes, who served as video playback supervisor.

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Goofs

Newcastle Brown Ale is available as a draft beer at the Black Horse pub. Newcastle Brown is not sold on draft in England.

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Quotes

Anthony Bourdain: OK, I'm a chef on a Sunday afternoon, setting the menu at a big restaurant. I ordered my fish on Friday, which is the mortgage bond that Michael Burry shorted. But some of the fresh fish doesn't sell. I don't know why. Maybe it just came out halibut has the intelligence of a dolphin. So, what am I going to do? Throw all this unsold fish, which is the BBB level of the bond, in the garbage, and take the loss? No way. Being the crafty and morally onerous chef that I am, whatever crappy levels of ...

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Connections

Featured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2016)

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Soundtracks

The Dopeness
Written and Performed by Nicholas Britell

User Reviews

Everyone hates poetry

Great drama moves you. It excites you. Scares you. Makes you sing. Makes you cry.

The Big Short makes you shake your fist. The Big Short is driven as much by its Iago as it is its Othello, and deservedly so.

The events in the story did happen. Many people still don't care. The Big Short gives you reason to care. That is what separates this film from being merely a documentary and turns it into high drama.

No matter your politics - mark this, like Citizen Kane, as a movie that should be seen at least once. It is not always comfortable to watch. And that is a good thing - The Big Short is a documentary of a real life horror that unfolds in slow motion, and reminds us that even after the fact - no one is listening. Because truth is like poetry.