The Big Short

This is easily one of the Top 5 movies of 2015 and worthy of a Best Picture AW nomination.  It is a MUST SEE! Co-written and directed by Adam McKay and based on the bestseller "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis ("Flashboys"), the film chronicles the genesis of the 2008 financial crisis and how a few hedge fund managers made fortunes by seeing what no one else could.  In addition to their brilliance, they also had the courage to retain their contrarian position, even when just about everyone thought they were crazy. (These managers initially lost millions before the housing market finally collapsed!) The movie is very entertaining and clearly explains a very complicated set of circumstances, often in a humorous way, such as by using cameo appearances with celebrities like Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez. The film has a wonderful cast, including Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, and Marissa Tomei, among others. Essentially, the banks became very greedy, created risky and nearly incomprehensible financial mortgage instruments, leveraged them to the hilt (making them even more dangerous), and then sold them to the unsuspecting public as a safe way to get income.  Absent the government bailout - paid for by tax payers like you and me - there would have been a financial Armageddon!  The banks engaged in extremely fraudulent and criminal activity, but only one minor player was convicted and sent to jail.  Of course, none of the problems that caused the crisis have been corrected and another financial melt-down, probably worse than this one, could easily happen again. If you want to see some movies before the end of this year, don't "short-change" yourself - make sure to catch this one!