Margin Call review
This dramatisation of the initial stages of the financial market crash of 2007 is expertly handled by writer director/writer J C Chandor. The film takes place over the course of a couple of days, focussing mainly on a firm’s immediate response to their current market situation and eventual liquidation.
A high powered broker company is in the middle of lay-offs when one of their analysis (Zachery Quinto) discovers the deep rooted nature of their financial situation after promting from his recently fired boss (Stanley Tucci). From there on the levels of management get involved one at a time before the drastic measures option is ruled.
The ensemble cast are all pretty much to die for. Kevin Spacey is the least surprise when it comes to who was cast as it’s clear to see why he took the role, and it’s even less of a surprise that he does so well with the material. Jeremy Irons comes into the film later on and dominates as the man. But it’s also worth noting Tucci, Demi Moore and Simon Baker who are high up the rungs and see they react to the situation. Qunti is also credited amongst the many producers (and when you look at them in the credits there are many). But the film is all but stolen by Paul Bettany stuck right in the middle of the levels of power.
We could go on about the cast all day as there is barley a scene that passes by that isn’t loaded. Each scene has its own message about the effects of the situation and consequences upon each of the characters positioned at different levels of the business, not to mention the rest of us in the outside world. But what is great is the harsh truth that is set. You may not like the characters, but you question what would you do in the situation as well, and this is levied very carefully through Spacey’s thoughtful manager.
In a year where we have had some stonkingly good adaptations of plays (Carnage, Killer Joe) Margin Call walks that very fine line between cinema and stage drama. It’s amazing how finely tuned each scene is and how each performance brings out the best of each actor on screen.
This one grabs your attention from the get go and doesn’t stop delivering right upto when the credits roll.
Steven Hurst
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