LeoGlossary: The Big Short (Film)
The Big Short is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Adam McKay. Co-written by Charles Randolph, it is based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, showing how the 2007–2008 financial crisis was triggered by the United States housing bubble. The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, with John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Hamish Linklater, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, and Marisa Tomei in supporting roles.
The film follows several American financial professionals who predicted and profited from the build-up and subsequent collapse of the housing bubble in 2007 and 2008. These professionals, including Michael Burry (Bale), Jared Vennett (Gosling), Mark Baum (Carell), and Ben Rickert (Pitt), were able to see the flaws in the housing market and bet against it, making a fortune in the process.
It also details the struggles that Burry went through in dealing with his investment against the bubble. His stance on the impending crash made him a contrarian, necessitating an asset created just for him to trade against the market. He went to a number of investment banks to provide the financial instrument he needed. The problem was that, throughout much of the film, the securities were not freely traded. This means the first could set the price at whatever they wanted.
The film is a complex and challenging look at the Great Financial Crisis, but it is also a darkly funny and entertaining film.
The Big Short was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $133 million worldwide against a budget of $50 million. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, and it won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Cast
- Christian Bale as Michael Burry: one of the first people to discover the American housing market bubble. Burry operates his own hedge fund, Scion Capital, and uses his firm's liquidity to short the housing market.
- Steve Carell as Mark Baum: the leader of FrontPoint Partners, a small independent trading firm. Baum is in a state of constant disgust with the American banks. The character is based on Steve Eisman.
- Ryan Gosling as Jared Vennett: a salesman from Deutsche Bank who decides to sell Burry's credit default swaps for his own profit. The character of Vennett is based on Greg Lippmann.
- Brad Pitt as Ben Rickert: a retired former trader who helps Jamie and Charlie with their trades. The character is based on Ben Hockett.
- John Magaro as Charlie Geller: one half of Brownfield Fund (based on Cornwall Capital), who discover Vennett's prospectus and also decide to short the housing market. The character is based on Charlie Ledley.
- Finn Wittrock as Jamie Shipley: Charlie's partner in Brownfield Fund. The character is based on James Mai.
- Hamish Linklater as Porter Collins: one of Baum's team.
- Rafe Spall as Danny Moses: one of Baum's team.
- Jeremy Strong as Vinny Daniel: one of Baum's team.
- Marisa Tomei as Cynthia Baum: Mark Baum's wife.
- Tracy Letts appears as Lawrence Fields
- Byron Mann appeared as Mr. Chau, a CDO specialist whom Baum interviews in Las Vegas
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Charles Randolph | Adam McKay | Michael Lewis
Box Office Gross: $133,440,870
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: January 14, 2015
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