Margin Call (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Carlos M

  
  This is a gripping, thought-provoking drama with a very careful pace and an intelligent script sustained on a sharp cast and compelling dialogue. A fascinating story depicting with acute realism the 24 hours prior to the financial crisis of 2008 at an investment firm.

• Thomas B

  
  Incredible cast, amazing script and a poignant story. Full review later.

• Matthew S

  
  A solid and very smart drama with honorable intentions of humanizing both the people inhabiting the bank headquarters and the people that they service. This movie is not as accessible as it should have been, especially as our collective memory of the 2008 situation fades away. The… More
  A solid and very smart drama with honorable intentions of humanizing both the people inhabiting the bank headquarters and the people that they service. This movie is not as accessible as it should have been, especially as our collective memory of the 2008 situation fades away. The underlying context of a gas price crisis, high mortgage default rates, and a bursted housing price bubble are not mentioned. All we know is that the "formula" the banks used is wrong. People familiar enough with the crisis know what that formula was, why it was trusted and used, and why it was only widely realized to be wrong at that particular time, but if they don't already know, a viewer is forced to just shrug at the jargon.

• jay n

  
  Tightly paced drama of the scheming and inattention that lead to the financial crisis only fails with an less than fulfilling conclusion. Fine acting from the entire cast.

• Kase V

  
  'Margin Call' is an engrossing drama that immediately starts off with an enticing premise and swift conflict, but seems to slow to a less interesting pace once the film hits the 45 minute mark. The actors keep the slow pace very much afloat and really make the film a solid… More
  'Margin Call' is an engrossing drama that immediately starts off with an enticing premise and swift conflict, but seems to slow to a less interesting pace once the film hits the 45 minute mark. The actors keep the slow pace very much afloat and really make the film a solid watch. Every part of the ensemble cast was great. The script may be emotionless and somber but the dialogue is top notch and seems to deserve its Oscar. 'Margin Call' is not a film for the faint of heart, but those willing to wade through the sobriety may be throughly surprised by the film's entertainment value.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Be first. Be smarter. Or cheat."</i> Follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24-hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"Be first. Be smarter. Or cheat."</i> Follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24-hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> A cast of middling to great actors all give excellent performances in a movie so terse and devoid of histrionics that it feels almost like a documentary. Taking place over one long dark night of the soul, a group of Wall Street suits, ranging from peons to muckety-mucks, come to the slow realization that their company is about to fold and that the only way to stem the blood flow is to liquidate most of the company's assets, thereby setting off the market crash that they know will bring the global economy down low. The various characters have greater to lesser feelings of guilt about this -- Jeremy Irons and Paul Bettany get a couple of dog-eat-dog speeches, while Kevin Spacey and Zachary Quinto serve as the film's moral conscious -- but really no one person's opinion matters much in the face of a steam engine charging out of control. "Margin Call" takes a very resigned tone to the whole episode. It doesn't really ask its audience to leap to their feet in rage at the way the casual actions of a few can so seriously harm the many, but rather to simply accept that the disgustingly rich will always be rich at the sake of those who are not. The consolation is that these disgustingly rich people don't seem especially happy or fulfilled; the strive for material wealth seems to lead nowhere but to a strive for even more material wealth. That that kind of lifestyle leaves people hollowed out is made abundantly clear in the film's final image.

• c0up  

  
  'Margin Call'. A fascinating look inside the world of a large investment firm that completely unravels over the course of a day. Filled with astounding moments, decisions and insights into that evil little thing called money, but sadly, it suffers from uneven pacing.… More
  'Margin Call'. A fascinating look inside the world of a large investment firm that completely unravels over the course of a day. Filled with astounding moments, decisions and insights into that evil little thing called money, but sadly, it suffers from uneven pacing. Spacey, Jeremy Irons and Penn Badgely are all superb.

• Lewis C

  
  A tumultuous two days at a massive investment firm begins with mass firings and a disquieting discovery and ends with a burgeoning worldwide financial disaster. I watched Wall Street for the first time not long ago, and I felt underwhelmed. It just didn't resonate with me.… More
  A tumultuous two days at a massive investment firm begins with mass firings and a disquieting discovery and ends with a burgeoning worldwide financial disaster. I watched Wall Street for the first time not long ago, and I felt underwhelmed. It just didn't resonate with me. Margin Call did. It's an intelligent, "financial thriller" that makes a bunch of Wall St. jargon feel relatable and weaves a tight, suspenseful story...despite the fact that we already know how it's going to end. Margin Call is a "ripped from the headlines" thriller done right. Sure, the perils of the financial market are a hot button topic these days, but there's a good movie here that has a lot more going for it than just being topical. Great cast, solid script, recommended.

• Al S

  
  The most explosivey entertaining film of 2011. One of the year`s best pictures. An exhilerating knockout of a film., it has a lasting effect long after its over. An electrifying, honest, and utterly brilliant movie that thrills you with sweep and implication. A taunt, stylish, gritty,… More
  The most explosivey entertaining film of 2011. One of the year`s best pictures. An exhilerating knockout of a film., it has a lasting effect long after its over. An electrifying, honest, and utterly brilliant movie that thrills you with sweep and implication. A taunt, stylish, gritty, wildly compelling and truly unforgettable piece of work. A groundbreaking and superbly real movie full of dept and is extreamly story driven with characters who have to make choices whether right or wrong. The best Wall Street movie ever made. A strong and fierce film debut by Director, JC Chandor, who possiably crafts the finest American film of the year. It`s wickedly well-crafted and insanely well-performend by it`s astonishing all-star cast. Kevin Spacey is mesmerizing. Jeremy Irons is brilliant. Paul Bettany is excellent. Zachary Quinto and Penn Badgley are sensational. Simon Baker is terrific. Stanley Tucci is fantastic.

• Dan S

  
  A riveting, memorable drama concerning a "what if?" scenario of the economic recession of 2008, and the 24-hr period in which a firm tries to prepare for the inevitable collapse. Thanks to a stellar cast across the board, sharp dialogue, and assured, realistic plotting, this… More
  A riveting, memorable drama concerning a "what if?" scenario of the economic recession of 2008, and the 24-hr period in which a firm tries to prepare for the inevitable collapse. Thanks to a stellar cast across the board, sharp dialogue, and assured, realistic plotting, this movie remains phenomenal pace-wise and tone-wise throughout. There is an imminent sense of despair, and every character's motives are handled and presented in a realized, capable manner. The message of the movie will stick in your mind for a long time to come. The greedy get more money in the end, but they will meet their day, and for those that get away with it, they will have to battle with the people they screwed over for the rest of their lives. A remarkable picture, and definitely one of the top films of the year, and one that absolutely deserves a view, especially in this sensitive economic time, it connects with its audience exceptionally well.

• E.J. B

  
  Much of the praise I have for Margin Call is directed towards its director, J.C. Chandor. The performances are all great, but I've yet to see a film that so accurately captures the fear and inevitability of the 2008 stock market financial crisis. I read in an interview that his… More
  Much of the praise I have for Margin Call is directed towards its director, J.C. Chandor. The performances are all great, but I've yet to see a film that so accurately captures the fear and inevitability of the 2008 stock market financial crisis. I read in an interview that his father worked for Merrill Lynch, so I suspect Chandor had first hand encounters with some of the high end CEOs and analysts who may or may not have seen this crisis looming as a result of corporate greed and lack of foresight. In a 24 hour period of time before the crash, young analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) survives a brutal round of layoffs, but one guy is not so lucky. He (played by Stanley Tucci) gives a data stick to Peter to look over. When Peter does, he realizes what is about to happen. What comes next is a board meeting to decide what to do. To save the company in the short term, they agree to sell their bad investments in packaged bonds to other investors, knowing that they're cheating their buyers out of a lot of money. Against the outcries of many of the board members, who scream that this will cause a ripple effect that will cost many more their jobs and trigger a financial downward spiral the likes of which has not been seen, the board agrees to do this. What is arguably one of the best Wall Street movies made in recent years, Margin Call never forsakes giving the audience little bits of character development that allow us to identify with everyone in the story. One particular scene where someone is about to get fired plays almost like a gangster movie where being fired is the equivalent of getting whacked. There is much tension and interesting dialogue for a film so small in scope yet large in impact.

• Jennifer X

  
  This is what might be called the antiheist film, like Ocean's Eleven in reverse. The leads are just as well dressed, but the end goal is all about deflection, rather than aggression. I'm so, so surprised this is a debutante film. And I can definitely see the parallels to… More
  This is what might be called the antiheist film, like Ocean's Eleven in reverse. The leads are just as well dressed, but the end goal is all about deflection, rather than aggression. I'm so, so surprised this is a debutante film. And I can definitely see the parallels to David Mamet.

• Idrees K

  
  If there was any point in time where a financial thriller would actually work, it would be now. The movie examines the precariously built scam that is Wall Street in a way that actually manages to be interesting. The plotlines may take some concentration to understand at times, if you… More
  If there was any point in time where a financial thriller would actually work, it would be now. The movie examines the precariously built scam that is Wall Street in a way that actually manages to be interesting. The plotlines may take some concentration to understand at times, if you do not have much of an understanding of the business world (like me), but I think that they did a great job of actually simplifying things. I'm not much of a business-person, and don't really care much for it, but I actually found the movie rather compelling

• Emile T

  
  What a solid film all the way around. It provides the thrills that you'd expect from a more mainstream thriller and all the intelligence of the best dramatic studies cinema can offer. The direction might not be as tightly effective as its excellent screenplay but it is… More
  What a solid film all the way around. It provides the thrills that you'd expect from a more mainstream thriller and all the intelligence of the best dramatic studies cinema can offer. The direction might not be as tightly effective as its excellent screenplay but it is nonetheless very promising for newcomer J.C. Chandor.

• Tim S

  
  A well written film that lacks the emotional staying power of the taut drama it could have been. Here's the thing and call me a moron: I have no idea what the fuck is going on with the investments and I think the filmmaker likes that fact considering he gives you no clues to what… More
  A well written film that lacks the emotional staying power of the taut drama it could have been. Here's the thing and call me a moron: I have no idea what the fuck is going on with the investments and I think the filmmaker likes that fact considering he gives you no clues to what is going on other than we should be really worried about it. Jeremy Irons and Kevin Spacey are great, but I kept wondering why we should give a fuck and felt stupid for not knowing why I should give a fuck. A movie that feels more importantly than it really is.

• familiar s

  
  A few days back, I called "Super 8" trashy. It wasn't because the story was so simple; it was owing to the way it's implemented. In fact, the simpler the movie, the better for me. By grace of God, I'm no intellectual, and complicated movies often tend to go… More
  A few days back, I called "Super 8" trashy. It wasn't because the story was so simple; it was owing to the way it's implemented. In fact, the simpler the movie, the better for me. By grace of God, I'm no intellectual, and complicated movies often tend to go over my head. Margin Call could have been among those, but thanks to the way it's handled, I was able to get what the movie meant to convey (not that I was able to understand it in its entirety, but still...) The makers must have known what they were dealing with, and IMO, they quite succeeded in simplifying the proceedings as they could. I've no idea whether or not the real life (top) market executives prefer to avoid speaking in technical terms, but I guess the makers used the "plain English" thing because they understood its significance. An amateur handling of this avant-garde flick would have made it intolerable. Unlike Super 8, there was no "action" here, but the implementation made it far more worth a watch than that trash. Besides, it has some excellent lines in its a-bit-stretched runtime. Finally, for the performances, Kevin Spacey was no more effective than the rest of its cast. Quite watchable.

• Greg S

  
  24 hours in the life of a financial firm (modeled on the Lehman Brothers) that panics when they discover research indicating that the risky mortgage-backed securities they've specialized in have become toxic. Star power (Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons) and an emphasis on drama above… More
  24 hours in the life of a financial firm (modeled on the Lehman Brothers) that panics when they discover research indicating that the risky mortgage-backed securities they've specialized in have become toxic. Star power (Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons) and an emphasis on drama above details make this intelligently written movie probably the closest thing to a "financial thriller" we're ever likely to see.

• Everett J

  
  "Margin Call" is a movie about an investment firm about to face the financial crisis of 2008. When a manager(Stanley Tucci) is fired, he informs Peter(Zachary Quinto), one of his workers, about something he has been working on that needs finished. When Peter check it out,… More
  "Margin Call" is a movie about an investment firm about to face the financial crisis of 2008. When a manager(Stanley Tucci) is fired, he informs Peter(Zachary Quinto), one of his workers, about something he has been working on that needs finished. When Peter check it out, he realizes that the company is in serious trouble. What follows is how the company handles this information over a 24 hour period and what they do to try to save the company. The movie reminded me a lot of an older movie called "Glengary Glen Ross". Small cast, great performances, and a good, smart script. Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons(who reminded me of Alec Baldwin in "Ross") are both fantastic and really raise this movie up. As a financial drama, it may seem boring to most and kind of hard to follow. But the tension and suspense is riveting. Each character is done so well, that you feel invested in them. At the beginning of 2011 a movie called "The Company Men" came out. It had some similar themes as it dealt with the financial crisis as well. But, "Margin Call" is above and beyond a better movie. Good flick that deserves a watch. Surprised it's not a more well known movie.

• William D

  
  How many exciting filmmaking debuts can one year contain? Two thousand eleven continues to stand out as a year for first- and second-time directors. Add writer/ director J.C. Chandor to the list. His first feature film, "Margin Call," is not a masterpiece by any stretch, but… More
  How many exciting filmmaking debuts can one year contain? Two thousand eleven continues to stand out as a year for first- and second-time directors. Add writer/ director J.C. Chandor to the list. His first feature film, "Margin Call," is not a masterpiece by any stretch, but it's a top-shelf production that is engaging and gorgeously filmed from the first minute to the last. It also has one of the greatest casts of the decade. How does a first-time filmmaker get Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons to sign onto his project?! Let alone Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, and a handful of big names from television? There's almost an overload of acting talent in this ensemble film. There really is no main character. We get a window into several characters' worlds. All of them work for the same Wall Street firm. The character explored the most is the one played by Spacey, a man in his 50s with decades of experience but who has never been welcomed into the upper echelons of power. He runs a large trading desk at the firm, but the chairman's suite is still foreign to him. The chairman is played with almost gothic overtones by Irons. Zachary Quinto, who made his name in the "Heroes" television show and played Spock in J.J. Abrams's superb "Star Trek" (2009), plays a junior analyst who first figures out how much financial danger his firm is in due to the wildly volatile values of mortgage-backed securities. For those who don't know much about Wall Street, a big reason we are in the Great Recession of the early 21st century is that mortgage-backed securities collapsed in value, and Wall Street firms were up to their ears in these securities. The drama in the story centers around the decisions that this firm has to make to try to save itself. Does it try to sell all these worthless mortgage-backed securities to unsuspecting buyers? If it does, what impact will that have? As Spacey's character proclaims on numerous occasions: If you sell worthless merchandise to enough people, you will never have customers again. It's a strategy that makes no sense when you look at the long view. Also, what are the moral implications? Ultimately, the film doesn't dig that deeply into these issues or into these people's lives. If it did, it would be a better film. It chronicles so many characters' experiences, that it doesn't have the time to touch down anywhere. It's sort of a whirlwind tour of some of the issues surrounding the Great Recession. But one thing is for sure: J.C. Chandor is a director with real talent, and we'll all be lucky to see his films in the years ahead.

• Mark H

  
  Independent drama outlines the chain of events over a 24 hour period after a startling discovery is made at a global financial services firm. Timely production utilizes the background of the actual 2008 financial crisis and fashions a fictional account of what happens when an analyst… More
  Independent drama outlines the chain of events over a 24 hour period after a startling discovery is made at a global financial services firm. Timely production utilizes the background of the actual 2008 financial crisis and fashions a fictional account of what happens when an analyst discovers sensitive information that threatens to derail the future of the fiscal institution - not Lehman Brothers, mind you, but an enterprise very much like them. Basically the company has discovered that they're riddled with financial assets whose value has fallen so significantly as to be essentially worthless. The economic meltdown of a bank is not a typical subject for entertainment. At times the drama can be a bit studious. The feature unfolds through conversations in boardrooms, staring at computer screens. I'll confirm the script was sufficiently intelligent to keep me interested and the high powered cast added significantly to the material. The subject has a current relevance given the recent Occupy Wall Street movement that has emerged nationwide. The subject couldn't be more well-timed. But the crisis depicted doesn't seem intense or savage enough to generate the necessary enthusiasm. As an indictment of corporate greed, Margin Call is an instructional account that generates little more than restrained admiration.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings