'Margin Call'

'Margin Call' (R) (3 STARS)

Written and Directed By J.C. Chandor
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Mary McConnell, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Aasif Mandvi

"Margin Call" is an intense, well written and compelling movie that couldn't have come out at a better time. It deals with an investment bank and the 24 hours before an impending financial crisis. With the "Occupy Wall Street" movement going on and the financial mess of the banking system we have endured this is perfect timing. You also get great writing, performances and another scintilating and powerful performance by Kevin Spacey. Writer and Director J. C. Chandor has a great career ahead of him just based on his writing. The first hour of this movie is perfection and though the movie slides in intensity near the end this is still a great potboiler.

The investment bank in this movie is portrayed in a real light and the writing seems real. In an effective early scene the bank's executive management has laid off many workers. They include an employee in the risk department played wonderfully by Stanley Tucci. He was working on something explosive and passes it off to a younger employee, Peter. This turns out to be information on an economical crisis that is brewing for the company and might affect others. The looming crisis will go all the way to the top including a bank president played by Spacey and to a British bigwig who controls all the money played by Jeremy Irons.

The movie's look at the cutthroat business of banks, trading and financial moves is fascinating. I loved the look at how all the executives would throw anybody under the bus to get the blame off of them. I loved how much young Peter learns when before he was a small cog in the machine. There is a great running joke where Peter's friend and co worker Seth keeps asking how much all the executives make a year as if his career and life depended on it. The writing here is wonderful and in the first hour I was never bored and I was glued to the screen.

The acting here is excellent and there are some actors who give their best performances I have seen them give in awhile including Demi Moore. There is fine, solid work here by Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker and Zachary Quinto. As I mentioned before Kevin Spacey has given another captivating, edge of your seat performance. The way the man has with the delivery of dialogue is spellbinding. At first we don't really get to know what is really behind this character. We don't know if he is a good guy or a bad guy at first but we soon find out due to Spacey's smart performance. It is a fascinating character and a great performance.

"Margin Call" feels right for it's time and it is more powerful for how it mirrors what has happened lately. It is material that might come off as dull but the writing here makes it fascinating and suspenseful. A lot of the characters have a lot at stake here and many lives will be changed and destroyed. It is a movie that will make you think and kind of hit a nerve. It is all anchored by a Kevin Spacey performance that proves he is one of our finest actors. "Margin Call" to me is miles ahead of the over rated "Wall Street" and it's boring sequel.