Margin Call (2011)

The film follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24-hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis. [imdb]

Nominated for 1 Oscar:


Best Original Screenplay

I guess this film was meant to be something like "financial crisis for dummies", so it's surprisingly uncomplicated for this type of film. I liked the screenplay, but what I liked more was the ensemble cast, which really takes the film to a different level and makes it feel more special.

Kevin Spacey is the obvious stand-out in a dynamic, engaging performance. The other great one is Jeremy Irons, and it's the type of man-in-charge role that fits him perfectly, with a touch of greed and a bit of villain. Hell, they even made Demi Moore bring in a good performance, Stanley Tucci is good as always and Paul Bettany is also memorable. 

The directing is good, simple, sharp, with an effective cinematography. I actually prefer this screenplay to The Artist or to Midnight in Paris, so I couldn't really complain about the nomination, though I would've rather seen Young Adult taking that 5th slot. Even if I appreciate the screenplay, you can tell some scenes are fillers - a scene that doesn't push the story forward and is there only to fill in pages or to move around some characters. 

My rating for the film: 7.5/10. I respect it, great cast and overall a better film than most of the Best Picture contenders.