Margin Call movie - 4 stars - available on YouTube

Discussion in 'Trading' started by GordonTheGekko, Oct 21, 2011.

  1. Whats odd is no mention of how Tacgnol was involved just like during the LTCM event.

    I guess certain things get covered up by the media.
     
    #51     Oct 25, 2011
  2. No "Wall Steet" glamour and bs. Finally a good movie that is also realistic ! Good acting overall, in my opinion one of the best movie on the financial industry yet a movie that can be watched by everyone.
     
    #52     Oct 25, 2011
  3. RedDuke

    RedDuke

    Really liked the movie.

    There were few lines where Demi Moore said that she warned about potential issues, so it was not a total surprise. The warnings were just ignored.

    To all critics who hates it, it is just a movie, and it has to be watched with understanding that things will be made up or twisted to make it more entertaining.

    Loved the bridge scene, definitely puts things in perspective. Who knows what rocket scientists would have discovered/invented had they be working as rocket scientists.
     
    #53     Oct 26, 2011
  4. joneog

    joneog

    Fair enough, but are you a chemist with experience cooking meth? My guess is a professional meth cook could point out issues in the show. For 99.9% of the audience it seems correct and technical enough, which is all that's necessary.

    I agree that the premise of the problem in the movie was kind of a joke, but no one I know who saw it, outside of those in the industry, even mentioned it. They just saw it as some existential problem which needed fixing and that, I think, was all they were going for.
     
    #54     Oct 26, 2011
  5. I know enough about chem to know it was accurate. Meth-chemistry is easy; the scene concerned increasing yields for a better ROI. You think they would go to those lengths to make up some orgchem BS? That's your argument?

    It's akin to adapting a book about the Holocaust and sending them to Disney World.

    "I'm working on something" Tucci states... ostensibly for weeks/months. I get a VaR that updates every 3 seconds. Maybe they should use my PB. They should've used Muppets.
     
    #55     Oct 26, 2011
  6. joneog

    joneog

    And I'm sure there are finance undergrads who would claim they know enough about finance to know the movie was accurate, since they had a lecture on VAR at some point.

    If the creators of the movie thought it was such an important thing don't you think they could have, in all of NYC, found at least one consultant to create a more realistic premise? Obviously they realized it wasn't necessary, because it would have absolutely no effect on the broader success/failure of the movie. And that's the point.
     
    #56     Oct 26, 2011
  7. This is a limited release film with a tiny budget...if this isnt geared towards real industry people, then WHO is it geared to?

     
    #57     Oct 26, 2011
  8. Do you believe that the "AHA" moment reflected reality? They reduced the entire subprime event to a MacGuffin. One moment all is well and the next they're buying canned food.

    Honestly, it was so poorly written that I am quickly losing interest discussing it with you. Enjoy it. Watch it again and again. I have no skin in defending my opinion any further.

    Now.... Superbad was fcuking awesome! The bus scene with the drunk! "Hey McMuffin!"
     
    #58     Oct 26, 2011
  9. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    I hear you on the realism, but I don't see how it significantly detracts from the movie. Unfortunately the subject matter is very dry and quite uninteresting (even for people like us, watching people do our job is pretty boring). This movie at least captures the essence of what was going on, was interesting, but maintained enough authenticity to not be cartoony.

    Every other mainstream wallstreet movie has failed at this with varying success at the entertainment aspect.

    Those "EUREKA" moments in front of the screen and simplified "VaR explanation are necessary plot devices to keep the movie moving.

    Breaking bad might have gotten the chemistry right (I don't know) but if they didn't the show would be enjoyable watching the two guys yell at eachother, botch drug deals, and deal with their varying issues.

    In the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, some of the soldiers' guns were wrapped in plastic bags presumably to keep them dry. Plastic bags didn't exist until after WW2. Did that ruin the movie?
     
    #59     Oct 26, 2011
  10. Because they're was no warning of impending doom. The view was acutely myopic; that nobody outside this tier 3 IB knew wtf was happening. They used the new vol-regime as a convenience and it's fucking absurd. I did not see it but they added insult to injury by allowing the bank to get netted on the junk? WTF?!

    Regarding the bags for the Thompson's: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/goofs

    Regardless, the bags are not a significant plot element.
     
    #60     Oct 26, 2011