MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

On Video on Demand

Margin Call   Rated R

Directed by J. C. Chandor, Starring Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany.

Photo: Roadside Attractions
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

If you are wondering what’s behind the recent protests outside the world’s financial centers, Margin Call does a very good job shining a light on the moral quagmire that is part and parcel of our current investment systems.

The story takes place in 2008 at an investment bank that is somewhat similar to Lehman Brothers.  As the film begins, teams of attractive people walk through the cubicles of one of the main offices, stopping to deliver notices to most of the employees; the head office has determined that their services will no longer be needed. As one of the fired executives (Stanley Tucci) leaves, he hands his young protégé (Zachary Quinto) a flash drive and whispers to him that he needs to open up a file on his computer and glance over the data.  It’s scary news, for sure; the bank is on the verge of financial ruin, due to the volatility of their mortgage-based securities.

The rest of the film takes place over a long night in which a small group of powerful people struggles with how to respond to a financial apocalypse.  Do you try to sell off securities that you know are worthless to clueless investors? Do you let the world crumble as long as you can keep a piece of the profits? How do you sleep at night knowing what you know?

Margin Call is such a good film.  The script is intelligent and witty, with several memorable speeches.  The all-star cast includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, and Demi Moore and they all deliver great performances.  The direction is understated and low key, and the soundtrack uses music sparingly, so that we have time to appreciate meaningful pauses and low whispers.

What I liked best about this film is its compassion for its characters.  There is really only one person in the film who is depicted as a villain; everyone else is trying to make sense of a career in which personal wealth is acquired by the financial losses of others.  And all of us who have investments gain (and lose) our net worth by the same market fluctuations.  There is no easy way out, and Margin Call is prophetic enough to stick with you for days after viewing.

The film does have a lot of swearing, so if you are not a fan of the F-Bomb and other lesser verbal artillery, you’d best stay away.  (This is the only reason the movie received the R rating.) And, while I am hoping that this film enjoys a wider release in the next few weeks, for right now the only place you can see it is from a cable box with the video on demand feature.  My cable company charged me seven bucks for this film. 

Pitchfork/Halo Ratings:

Three halos A morality play for our time, that poses deep questions without easy answers.

Tw pitchforks: A lot of profanity throughout, plus all of the deception money can buy.

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