Margin Call - Movie Review by Chris Stuckmann

Film critic Chris Stuckmann reviews Margin Call, starring Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell and Aasif Mandvi. Directed by J.C. Chandor.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[KINGJADEX]

You have a sunburn or something...just sayin'...

[ChrisStuckmann]

A sunburn in October? That doesn't make any sense... just sayin' ...

[KINGJADEX]

Well, I don't know where you live but today in So-Cal it was a bit over 90 degrees.

[ChrisStuckmann]

Comments on the review and not my face are appreciated.

[ChrisStuckmann]

Ya know, people are always so quick to ask questions like this. The movie opened in 56 theaters in the US on Friday dude, it expands even more next week.

[Marcellus Wallace]

the trailer makes it seem like a fast paced thriller. which its not. I thought that the performances and the dialogues (MY FUCKING WORD! THE DIALOGUE IN THIS) is fucking outstanding.

[arty scott]

Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons are some of the most talented actors I`ve ever seen. jeremy Irons is a little bit underrated in my opinion.

[shakaama]

the dog thing was showing you how uncaring the people are. millions of people are about to lose their jobs, life savings, companies and this schmuck cares more about some damn dog he's paying $1,000 / day to keep alive than what's going on around him. And, we know he doesn't care about the $1,000 / day because the underling that goes around asking how much people make [ subconsciously ] shows you he's worth millions.

I found it annoying and doesn't hit the mark of the point.

[shakaama]

EXACTLY... I think Quinto was reading off a teleprompter at one point. I was like... that fool has no idea what he's even saying. even wheh jeremy irons says "explain it to me as if I were a child, a cockerspaniel" Quinto launches into an explanation of a structured asset collapse and doesn't even blink or take a breath.

And, as you said, it wasn't overly complicated, it was just unconvincing performances. I was annoyed more than entertained.

anyway, BACK TO STUDYING FOR MY CFA.

[hollygolightly66]

It was meant to humanize the Spacey character. He's portraying an older man who's sacrificed everything to work at the firm making loads of money. He's coming to the end of the career and the realization hits the only left in his personal life is the dog. He has no family left and didn't save any money. The scene outside smoking with the Quinto character demonstrates how see's himself 35 years ago and you can his expression when Quinto comes into the corp dining room with Baker.

[TheSanityInspector]

Read the book The Big Short or The Quants, and then watch Margin Call again. You'll get more out of it.

[Andrew Thorpe]

For someone who studies finance I found this movie irritating in that it seemed liked the characters had no idea what they were talking about. It was even more annoying when they were talking to each other and wanted it to be explained in simplest form, yet they all worked in a financial firm? Another thing that annoyed me was the use of the "F bomb". I don't mind it, but it was well overused. Although the great acting really brought the movie back up to standard. Couldn't compare to Wall Street

[Toledo Tourbillion]

I knew margin call would make my day the first time I saw the trailer.

[Anne1973Cogneedo]

I'll watch anything with Penn Badgely in it <3 Even a financial "thriller" that would normally cross my eyes. He better have a lot of screen time--just sayin'