Cinema Society

MARGIN CALL

Average
Rating

3.7

Tuesday, October 11, 2011, Reading Cinemas Town Square 14 Theatre

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11

On Screen: 4:30pm or 7:30pm (You Pick!)

Reading Cinemas Town Square 14 Theatre

Cinema Chat (Aud. 14) begins 30 minutes prior to screenings

Introduction begin 15 minutes prior to screenings (Aud. 14 & 8)

Discussion follows screenings (Aud. 14)

MARGIN CALL

MARGIN CALL is a Wall Street thriller that follows the staff of a high-powered brokerage firm in the 24 hours before the stock market crash of 2008. Featuring an all-star cast, Margin Call was one of the most talked about films of the Sundance Film Festival and was also the Opening Night selection of New Directors/New Films.

Starring Penn Badgley, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Simon Baker, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore and Paul Bettany, and directed by J.C. Chandor, MARGIN CALL, a Roadside Attractions Release, opens commercially in San Diego on October 21st.

Rated PG-13 for sexual material, language and some drug content; Running Time: 112 Minutes.

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10-Nov-11: susan - Rating: 3

I kept waiting for the "thriller" part to begin -- as was touted in the trailer. Lots of excellent actors in search of a plot. Does anyone play a villain better than Jeremy Irons?

17-Oct-11: Mary - Rating: 5

Impressive accomplishment for a first-time filmaker. My favorite kind of movie with focus on characters, dialogue and relationships. No gratuitous love story, no car chases, no gunfights, no explosions, no fighting and no CG wizardry - yea!!

16-Oct-11: Mark - Rating: 5

This modest but powerful film conveys in a refreshingly understated way how greed corrupts everyone on Wall Street, even those whose moral compass is strong enough to register disapproval of their own behavior. The Jeremy Irons character THINKS he's operating ethically -- he asserts with utter conviction "I do not cheat" -- even though it is perfectly obvious to everyone (in the film as well as in the audience) that cheating is exactly what he's doing. Only the Kevin Spacey and Stanley Tucci characters (both performed beautifully) are truly sickened by what they see happening, but even they capitulate in the end. I kept hoping that someone would blow the whistle and play the hero, and in a traditional Hollywood movie someone surely would have done so. But here there are no good guys, just different degrees of bad guys. What makes the movie a success is that it shows convincingly how and why every character ultimately puts his or her own economic security first, swallowing the ugliness in furtherance of personal financial gain.

The script in this dialog-driven film was first-rate. It managed to make a complicated financial story understandable, using the deft artifice of having several characters insist that their subordinates explain the firm's predicament in simple English. The acting was excellent, for the most part, with Kevin Spacey turning in another Oscar-worthy performance. Jeremy Irons overdid his role slightly, I thought; he would have been more effective had he taken just a bit off his fastball. The rest of the cast was pretty much pitch-perfect, even Demi Moore (never a favorite of mine), who exhibited admirable restraint.

For a low-budget movie, this was an exceptional achievement -- far subtler and more nuanced, for example, than the nonsense that emerges from Oliver Stone's feverish mind. I found myself thinking about the characters and their choices long after leaving the theater. I'm eager to see the film a second time when it comes out on DVD.

16-Oct-11: Tom - Rating: 4

Loved it! Didn't think it was slow - actually wanted more detail. I looked at this as a documentary, more so than entertainment. Great job by the actors.

16-Oct-11: Tom Schmiedeberg - Rating: 4

Loved it! Didn't think it was slow - actually wanted more detail. I looked at this as a documentary, more so than entertainment. Great job by the actors.

12-Oct-11: Mroe - Rating: 4

Having just seen “The Ides of March” and now this film, both with a stellar cast and stellar acting, it just all hits a little too close to home as the sting has not yet worn off...it feels similar to when filmmakers attempted to make films about the Vietnam War shortly after the end of the war and people just weren’t ready...or maybe it’s more that we just don’t like the mirror being held up so close. This is a very good movie and the characters are interesting and not completely transparent (yet their actions are ultimately disappointing and typical of what we’ve come to expect from people in these positions). I hope those who see this film will really pay attention, listen and learn…this is a part of history we don’t ever want to repeat.

12-Oct-11: Georgi - Rating: 3

Here's movie that wasn't bad. Just wasn't that great. More of a B- than a C+. The acting was good, but there were no connections. Perhaps that was the point. How cold the money business is...no emotion, no feeling, no compassion, just the big bucks. If that was the purpose then it worked. Although the movie was sl-o-o-o-w it did hold my attention. I was particularly moved by the dying dog. Was it a symbol for our way of life? The film was timely and well shot and I am sure that many people will download it for home viewing. The close-ups lend themselves to the small screen. It certainly warrants that sort of attention.

11-Oct-11: RichG - Rating: 2

Not really sure why we were presented with this film. This first time director never saw a closeup he didn't like. Not one semblance of chemistry between the players. Seemed more like a "paycheck movie" than anything else. The pace (?) was way too slow. At the end of the day were we to care about any of these characters? Not a film I would recommend to anyone.