‘The Big Short’ Takes Comedic Approach on Financial Collapse

Alysia Gonzales

Heavy hitting comedy director Adam McKay brings a heavy hitting cast to “The Big Short.” The film features well-known names including Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, in a story about a few men who were able to predict the housing collapse of the mid-2000s and decide to go up against the big banks on their own.

The film is an onslaught of experienced comedic talent. On the directorial side, McKay has been in charge of films such as “Step Brothers,” “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights” and “The Other Guys.” In front of the camera Carell and Gosling have actually flexed their comedic muscles together previously in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Brad Pitt has a versatile comedic background in films like “Inglourious Basterds” and “Burn After Reading.” Christian Bale, however, is a different story. With his filmography heavily steeped in intense dramas and suspense thrillers, Bale has the opportunity to show his range as an actor.

“The Big Short” is not the first to tackle the housing crash of the 2000s. The previous film, “Margin Call,” is essentially about the same crisis. While it does not follow a group of vigilante finance do-gooders, the 2011 film starring Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons in a Wall Street drama was received positively. “The Big Short” is a new spin on that same crisis through the lens of comedy instead of drama.

The movie is based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis, which was published in 2010 and chronicles the key players and inner workings of the lead up to and the burst of the housing bubble.

“The Big Short” opens in select theaters Dec. 11 and nationwide on Dec. 23.