Being honest with myself, I think I like this movie better in theory than in practice. Along those same lines, I also like it more in the context of a social commentary, than as a stand alone film in a vaccumn.
It's well acted and any dialouge junkie will find numerous poignant speeches and quips that cut to the heart of the matter and nudge it off the fence into quite watchable territory. That said, there's a nagging feeling of empty calories here, which is odd given the weighty subject matter. It sometimes feels like the indie equivalent of great novel rushed into blockbuster production to capitalize on a hot topic. It also will be mildly distracting/problematic for some that essentially the whole movie takes place at the office. Of course, that's no biggie, since action verbs don't really exist in this film. It's like Phone Booth, only with numbers and fancy suits.
Perhaps, this works better as a companion piece with Too Big to Fail than either movie does on it's own. That's on my list as well, and I'll try to watch it soon to have some comparison. Maybe, I'm just pissed that the bankers come across as a little too sympathetic. It was a little too convienent for me, that nearly EVERY character shifts seamlessly from blissfully selfish to profoundly conflicted on a dime.
In the end, this review is a bit of a contradiction. It's largely negative in it's detail, but in totality, I think it's worth a watch. The issue is too important to ignore, and there are several moments of five star dialouge. It's just that this particular telling of the story is a bit disappointing and most of the best stuff would have worked equally well as an audiobook.
3/5 stars
Watch or Skip
No comments:
Post a Comment