Adam McKay’s brilliant film about the financial crisis of 2008 is hugely enjoyable as a satirical comedic drama. Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrel and Christian Bale have won rave reviews for their performances and the film, which won the PGA Award, could win Best Picture come February 28.
The Big Short picked up five Oscar nominations including Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. Revisit Sasha’s original review of The Big Short, The Case For The Big Short and a piece from The Guardian as to why the film should win Best Picture.
Sasha’s review of The Big Short
The Big Short goes to Washington
Mr. McKay Goes to Washington, Shows The Big Short to Congress
The Case For The Big Short
It’s the Funniest Movie of the Year Until It Isn’t: The Case for The Big Short
The Guardian on Why The Big Short should Win Best Picture
The Guardian Begins New Series of Films that Should Win Best Picture – First up, The Big Short
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Note: Final phase of Awards Daily’s 8th Annual Simulated Oscar Ballot is now underway. Please go vote. Thanks!
The haters are doing a really good job in scaring away or antagonizing the TBS supporters on all of the pundit sites, especially this one.
Anyway, here is a really intelligent and comprehensive review of The Big Short:
https://vickster51corner.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/film-review-the-big-short/
Here is a couple of good quotes about why TBS is a worthy nominee:
“Crucially too, thanks to the script and the actors, you quite like them. Yes, ultimately their actions are being driven by the opportunity to make a fortune, but you don’t view them in the same way as the people they cross paths with on their road to success and it seems impossible that they could have prevented the crisis when so many people simply refused (or were unable) to see the inherent dangers. Ironically, Burry, Baum and Rickert and their teams seem, in some absurd way, honourable in a system of corrupt and morally defective people and by the end most of them aren’t smugly celebrating. Instead you sense their utter despair at what has happened, especially Baum.
The Big Short really is a superb film. It enables the wider world to take a closer look at the realities of what happened to the world’s economy a short time ago. It doesn’t suggest solutions. That isn’t its purpose and in flagging at its end that products called “bespoke opportunity tranches” are now being sold (effectively just another name for CDOs), it poses the question of whether any lessons were actually learnt. It’s refreshing that a film which is often darkly humorous is able to highlight the seriousness of these events and signpost the dangers for the future. If you only ever watch one film about the financial world, make sure it’s this one.”
( Not from me by the way, Vickster51Corner is the name of the blog.
Source: https://vickster51corner.wordpress.com/)
I’ll say it again. The whole movie looked like an Office or Parks and Rec episode on crack. 95% handheld with quick zooms. It was shot like an action thriller.
Thanks for clearing things up Ryan.
Just to chime in here. This is not a pimp TBS piece at all. If you’ve been on the site the last few weeks, you’ll see this is part of a “Focus on” series, looking at the Best Picture nominees, collecting all the articles in one place.
There is no order to how I wrote and published these pieces. The Martian, Mad Max and TBS are the only ones where we haven’t conducted interviews, and that’s not been by choice.
I didn’t turn down ANY interview opportunity this season unless there was a scheduling conflict to try to give as much coverage to the films and the talent and creatives.
Sasha certainly didn’t have ANY say in the order which I wrote the pieces.
For the record, I’m sure you’ll see many other sites summarizing their Awards Season interviews, last minute podcasts, last minute interviews go up before the Voting deadline closes next week.
What a surprise. More big pimpin’ for TBS
We’ve done “Focus On…” posts for all 8 of the Best Picture nominees.
In each one of them, Jazz collects several of the most significant articles we’ve published about EVERY ONE of the Best Picture contenders.
But, yeah, this is the only one you choose to bitch about. What a surprise.
Yes, but interesting on how all of these TBS stories appear during the Oscar voting period, just a coinky-dinky, I’m sure.
The Oscar voting period began Dec 30th.
Jazz has been hoping to get past some scheduling conflicts so that she could interview some of the principles from The Big Short.
Jazz has been able to interview key people for every other Best Picture nominee, but unforeseen problems kept interfering with her ability to give The Big Short equal treatment.
We waited as long as we could to see if this would change. It didn’t.
Too bad you can’t be in on all weekly editorial conferences we have at AD so you would know a thing or two about the way Jazz has been brilliantly handling her own posts.
Focus on Fury Road was published the day before Final Ballots went out
Focus on Room was published on the exact day Final Ballots went out
Focus on The Martian was published yesterday
Focus on The Big Short, published today
Here’s the fact: Jazz decides when to collect and post these pieces. Sasha doesn’t micromanage it.
Take your wacky conspiracy theories to some site where people are asking “Who Murdered Scalia?!”
Not a conspiracy theory, just a comment. BTW, the FINAL Oscar voting period began last Friday and that was what I was referencing–when the final ballots are in the hands of the voters that matter. Since then, numerous flattering TBS stories have appeared. There’s nothing wrong with that, mind you, since it’s not a secret what film is favored by Awards Daily and Awards Daily has no obligation to be “objective.” There’s nothing wrong with trying to help the film get over the “finish” line. It just appears to be a bit obvious, that’s all.
I hope I’ve cleared it up for you.
The Focus On series is entirely Jazz’s idea. Jazz has decided when to post them . Sasha isn’t pulling the strings.