Margin Call follows in the mostly proud but scarcely seen tradition of films featuring people tackling complex subjects on the viewer's terms. How many people would sit through a movie with shop talk straight from the front lines of the 2008 financial crisis? Director J.C. Chandor, making an extremely assured debut here, figured correctly that most outside of the field would balk at a film that portrayed the meltdown faithfully to a word. Instead, Margin Call boils down complexities without insulting your intelligence - if you are riveted by people trading barbed words and shaking in their boots at certain unspoken certainties, then this movie is for you.
God bless Stanley Tucci - without him, Margin Call would not get off to as strong a start. As HR descends on the trading floor to apologetically yet mechanically lay off scores of people, Tucci's Eric Dale is one of them. His brief scene with the firing staff is a masterwork in the subtleties of acting. Stepping into the elevator, Eric hands a thumbdrive to former young charge Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto). It's something Eric's been working on and when Peter plugs in the missing pieces, the terrible puzzles comes to life. There's going to be some real hard times, and the firm is going to take a hit - unless they sell off toxic assets before the market gets a whiff of what's cooking.
Taking place largely in the wee hours of this fateful morning, Margin Call never captures the discomforting intensity of it's first scene but remains watchable and certainly well acted. A strong cast no doubt attracted by the Oscar-nominated script (also by Chandor) help the already boiled down just-the-facts dialogue spark. It's actually a great idea down to it's bones - there's inherent tension in watching the powers that be on the cusp of a great collapse, unbeknown to the "regular people." When Jeremy Irons steps into the boardroom as acting CEO, his ruthlessly levelheaded approach is bound to ruffle a few feathers - Margin Call luckily avoids pointing fingers, depicting but not judging decisions made in the heat of the moments. The future is not written and all predictions are off the table. Instead, what's left for this particular company is a ruse in double time, except...they're not technically fooling anyone.
Chandor's debut is notable also for it's lack of stylistic hand-me-downs. Oliver Stone's Wall Street sequel showed that no amount of stylistic ambition can be traded in for an emotional hook. Chandor's script is people-friendly even as it delves into the lives of manipulative, morally elastic individuals. Kevin Spacey is especially impressive as a career company man who doesn't so much grow a conscience as he's reminded painfully that he's got one. There's little to no melodrama - no yelling, no fighting, no gun on the scene, just a lot of mental hand-wringing and soul-searching. This is not a film that seeks to exploit the drama of the financial crisis, but a taut thriller that imagines the first ripples across the surface, before the people on shore knew how to react.
It's worth the quiet hype that's built up around it, and to its credit, the film moves at a rapid clip and never loses its focus on the lives and careers in play. It's a showcase for a strong cast and a subtle flexing of directorial muscles for a debuting talent. Featuring solid technical specs as a clear sound mix across the board, Margin Call deserves a definite recommendation.
DVD Bonus Features
A director's commentary featuring Chandor and on of the producers, Neal Dodson, focus largely on production trivia, discussing how they make to make the film. It makes for an interesting but not required listening. Also included is a 5-minute promotional look at the making of the film, barely two minutes of actors relaxing between takes and a photo gallery.
"Margin Call" is on sale December 20, 2011 and is rated R. Drama. Directed by Jc Chandor. Written by J.C. Chandor. Starring Zack Galifianakis.
