Remember the dark days of 2008? Remember when the President, George Bush, came on TV and said things are bad but we'll fix it? Remember when banks, the biggest banks, were bailed out with our tax dollars? Remember the financial crisis and folks were losing their homes? And nobody could figure out how it all happened?
All, or almost all the answers are in this movie, adapted from the book by author Michael Lewis, the prolific author of 33 titles, many concerned with financial subjects. Michael Lewis is the perfect writer to put the story in a format that is appealing while at the same time being accurate and compelling. The big screen version explains the Wall Street situation with a straight forward approach that includes visual asides with actors explaining the mechanics of financial instruments used by the banks to hoodwink investors, even the most sophisticated of the bunch. Sadly, it includes the awful climate of the banking business that went on without the scrutiny of the regulators who were no match for the fast-paced game being played out by veteran bankers.
The film has an all-star cast featuring Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Christian Bale. The film focuses on the activities of a few small time players in finance who were able to take the time to investigate mortgage -backed securities and then identify them as the Achilles Heel of the whole financial world at that time. The aftermath of the crash and the Great recession don't get much time as that is still being played out, even as President Obama begins his final year in office, managing a remarkable financial turn around in the USA, still the world's leader in economic stability and growth prospects.
Don't miss the film, and read the book, too.
Mayor's rating: 5 stars*****-worth every penny
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