For a class presentation, we showed a clip from “The Big Short” to explain the 2008 banking crisis. I realized I had never seen the movie, so I decided to watch it over break and thoroughly enjoyed it. It did a great job breaking down complex ideas using unique methods like celebrity cameos, analogies, and breaking the fourth wall by staring at the camera.

The usage of celebrity cameos created a unique break from the original storyline, which helped emphasize the importance of the specific part of the film. The Margot Robbie cameo specifically stuck out to me because it was a direct juxtaposition of who you would expect to talk about subprime mortgages. Instead of an uptight banker in a suit, Margot is relaxed in a bubble bath, sipping champagne. I think this did a great job of challenging the banking stereotypes and making the content seem more manageable to understand.

The second way Andrew McKay helped tackle these complex ideas was through the use of analogies. In combination with a celebrity cameo, Anthony Bourdain gave an analogy, comparing CDOs to a 3-day-old seafood stew. Ultimately, this, again, helped the viewers understand a confusing topic through a more easily digestible analogy.

The final strategy McKay used was breaking the fourth wall by staring directly at the camera. Ryan Gosling often stared directly into the camera when addressing something important. This would alert the viewer that something was important and force them to listen in. Viewers can zone out in a movie with many complex topics, so using this technique helps snap them in and understand the main points.

Overall, I enjoyed this film. It helped me understand the complexities of the 2008 banking crisis and the importance of sticking to your ideals regardless of outside influence. The ending was very unexpected because already knowing that these men would get rich off of this I thought they would be happy and celebrating, but I didn’t realize the moral strains and isolation that also came with it. This made me think beyond the movie to what I would do and realize that there’s more to this situation then just a multi-million dollar check.