Weekly Film Review ... from Ocean City, New Jersey
"MARGIN CALL" ... Shown "On Demand" for $6.99 same time as Film Release in local movie theatre
I get my initial reviews from WSJ writer, Joe Morgenstern, who usually does a very good job. Sometimes I also read a later review in TIME which is also useful. I read the Friday review column ... but it was Saturday night when my wife, Leslie, and I were looking for a useful film to watch. Now I'm a collector of films by checking out HBO and Turner Classic taping them for later viewing. But my number was low ... and I decided to read the review again to Leslie since I wasn't certain she would enjoy it.
Well, it was like a powerful mystery drama without any killings in the normal sense ... although many may have considered suicide (even a couple characters in the film). The title of Morgenstern's column may say it all: Margin Call: Thrills, Chills of Financial Ills." And it definitely was just like that.
A lot of excellent performances by actors you know and don't know ... including Jeremy Irons who played the major CEO role for the company, a company not unlike Lehman Brothers back in the 2008 time frame - he hit his role perfectly. I also enjoyed Stanley Tucci who was fired in the first few minutes, but came back later in the film. Demi Moore had a small but important role too. And the best part would have to go to Kevin Spacey who played a significant character who tried to bring some honesty and decency into a dialog that wanted nor expected any.
There were several other lesser know actors who played major roles in the film which covers 24 hectic hours before the financial bomb goes off. It's not the way most of us live our lives or function in a certain type of isolated environment. But one could certainly relate it to an after hour discussion regarding a crazy real estate deal that has had its ups and downs where a few important people were reviewing what to do next for who considering how, and when ... and obviously knowing where.
This one will certainly keep you on your seats ... or in our case on our sofa right down to the conclusion ... which, of course, everyone knows but not in the detail as depicted in the film.
"Highly Recommended ... and my wife may have enjoyed it more than me ... but I'll be the one to see it a second time." dap
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