The movie is a fictionalized account of a disastrous twentyfour hours in 2008, when financial instruments that had seemed solid dissolved into air. Margin call is a 2011 film that follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis. Set at a wall street firm on the night in 2008 when the leaders realize that changes in the market will wipe them out if they dont immediately stop selling the products that have been making them all rich, the movie centers on the moral dilemma recognized by some characters but dismissed by others that they face in unwinding their positions, saving themselves but. No one has managed to make a convincing movie of the financial crash, says stephen foley. Margin call is probably the best fictional treatment of the latest economic crisis and is, to my mind, in the same league as the wonderfully acutely intelligent documentary inside job. Perhaps the most financially accurate movie on the list, margin call takes place over the span of 24 hours in. A look into the wonderful world of speculation and mortgage swaps that led wall.
It is also a horror movie, with disaster lurking like an unseen demon outside the skyscraper windows and behind the computer screens. Margin call finally, a realistic portrayal of wall street. On this cooking show, nadiya hussain serves up delicious shortcuts, vital ingredients and fast favorites perfect for todays timestrapped families. The movie was inspired by nelson bunker and william herbert hunts. Margin call depicts the last night of good times on wall street, as a deadly certainty travels up the executive ladder at an investment firm. It would be difficult for me to understate the awesomeness of this question and am really eager to hear others thoughts on this. The movie margin call, which opened this past weekend, advertises that it was inspired by a true story. Stephen foley is associate business editor of the independent, and is based in new york. With zachary quinto, stanley tucci, kevin spacey, paul bettany. Margin call is a film that deserves at least one viewing.
It may not sound like a fun viewing experience, but in actuality, it really is. Will goldman sachs trade places with the hunt brothers. Start your free trial to watch margin call and other popular tv shows and movies including new releases, classics, hulu originals, and more. The movie, which premiered at sundance and is slated to open in u. Debuting at a time when the occupy wall street movement seeks to. Follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24hour period, during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. The fictional head of a wall street firm john tuld a composite character resembling merrill lynchs john thain and lehman brothers dick fuld.
Margin calls are extremely dangerous and risky and were a big part of the subprime crisis financial collapse in 2008, so the choice of that phrase for the movie title was not inappropriate. Margin call is the smartest movie you will ever see about the financial crisis. Clandestime 174 the big short vs margin call spy culture. But its a very different kind of film, less selfconscious, much more human. Margin call captures a day in the life of a lehman brotherslike bank as it scrambles to avoid falling into the first cracks of the financial. Are these just thinly veiled depictions of goldman sachs, citigroup and jp. The firm in the movie is so overcommitted to risky real estate loans that it owes more. It is a very well acted and directed film about the 2008 financial crash. Kevin spacey stars as the head of a desk overloaded with mbs about to blow that his boss forces him to unload to unwitting buyers. But there simply are no margin calls in margin call. The plus side of this is that the movie gets some amazingly good performances from a wide range of actors, including demi moore, simon baker, paul bettany, and especially. Paul craig roberts made an intriguing reference the other day. Theres an argument that the movie is instead about goldman sachs, who famously moved first to unload lots of mbs and lbo junk at.
Imagine if merrill had been smart like goldman breakingviews. Margin call is sometimes like a theatrical play, taking place on limited sets over a limited timeframe, with plenty of wellwritten, welldelivered monologues and dialogue. Chandor, margin call deals with the early stages of the 20072008 financial crisis two days at a wall street bank loosely based on lehman. The director of margin call reveals the event that. Imagine if merrill had been smart like goldman reuters. The action takes place over a couple of days in the manhattan headquarters of an unnamed highly respected investment bank and the film opens with the banks. Margin call s allstar cast brings to life writerdirector j. Margin call is a 2011 american drama film written and directed by j.
Chandors movie margin call is a low budget indie film with big stars such as kevin spacey, stanley tucci, penn badgley and demi moore. The film focuses on a wall street investment bank, and opens with the hr department laying off numerous traders who are then promptly escorted off the building. Watch margin call streaming online hulu free trial. Unlike most mainstream movies about high finance, margin call is a thoughtful and intelligent attempt to depict contemporary wall. I think the film is being marketed as being based on lehman brothers as it takes place at a large brokerdealer on t.
What do real bankers think of their portrayal in margin call. Movie protagonists may work in business, but the plot usually has nothing to do with how business works. Trading was halted this morning, and the margin call and fire sales are not going to help investor confidence. Margin call 2011 fire sale pep talk hd 1080p reupload audio fixed. Chandors film, which is the most insightful wall street movie. Jake bernstein, in his mash note to margin call, is right to see the moral heart of the movie in a speech by paul bettanys character, will emerson. How margin call gets it right about the financial crisis the new. The movie margin call, which opened this past weekend. It is also a horror movie, with disaster lurking like an unseen. Margin call is the smartest movie you will ever see about the. A small movie unveils big truths about wall street.
Margin call, also set over some 36 hours or so, initially appears to be located in an altogether more honourable and affluent place, the manhattan headquarters of a respected investment bank. The filmmaker was last seen, at the close of his movie capitalism. At last, a film about wall street that does add up. A film like margin call is the lifeblood of the black list. Another film that dealt with the same crash, and also a directorial debut, is margin call. This tense wall street thriller follows the staff of a highpowered brokerage firm in the 24 hours before the. The fictional head of a wall street firm john tuld a composite character resembling merrill lynchs john thain and lehman brothers dick fuld and played by the wonderfully villainous jeremy irons. Disastrous speculation in the mortgage markets is leading to the firms collapse. We can still recall those days in the summer of 2008, during the obamamccain campaign, when america seemed awash in. I especially enjoyed how they showed the power structure in a bank during a time of crisis when everyone is trying to protect their job. The plot centers around a fictional investment bank going. Imagine if merrill lynch had been smarter, like goldman sachs, a few years ago. Thats the basic conceit behind the latest film to emerge in the financial crisis genre, margin call. It takes place over about a day and a half, rather than the months or even years covered by the events in the big short.
Margin call how to sell 200 billions in assets in one. How margin call gets it right about the financial crisis. Movie info set in the highstakes world of the financial industry, margin call is an entangling thriller involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24hour period in the. Margin call sheds light on wall street meltdown margin call is based on the financial collapse of 2008. Margin call 2011 fire sale pep talk hd 1080p re upload audio fixed. New yorker film critic david denby said margin call is easily the best wall street movie ever made. I do not envy the goldman salespeople trying to place these shares.