Margain Call

Margin Call takes place within twenty-four hours inside a powerful investment bank, just before the financial crisis of 2008. As people who had been working there for 15 years got laid off, young, inexperienced men were given their work. A young analyst is able to fix a formula created by his ex-boss that forecasts the demise of the firm. While the information is passed up the corporate ladder, the corruption within the hierarchy itself becomes evident.

 A 2011 film directed by JC Chandler, Margain Call constantly uses lines such as “just speak to me in plain English” and “it’s just money” to show how ill-equipped the heads of the bank were. It amazed me how the executives in the firm did not fully understand what was happening and jumped to quick conclusions, which saved only themselves.

While many investors would be left without anything, the head of the bank made the decision to protect only the bank, selling everything before the Fed got involved. The lack of care about long time clients proves that the financial system is untrustworthy.

Meade Brewster