"Margin Call" is a 2011 American drama thriller film directed by J.C. Chandor in his feature directorial debut. The story revolves around a 36-hour period at a large Wall Street investment bank and highlights the initial stages of the financial crisis of 2007-2008.
Main Cast:
Kevin Spacey as Sam Rogers
Paul Bettany as Will Emerson
Jeremy Irons as John Tuld
Zachary Quinto as Peter Sullivan
Penn Badgley as Seth Bregman
Simon Baker as Jared Cohen
Demi Moore as Sarah Robertson
Stanley Tucci as Eric Dale
Plot Summary:
The film starts with a mass layoff at a large investment bank, where the risk management division head, Eric Dale, is fired. Before he leaves, he hands a USB drive to one of his protégés, Peter Sullivan, and tells him to "be careful."
Peter examines the data and discovers that the firm is dangerously over-leveraged, holding far too many risky securities tied to mortgage-backed assets. Essentially, the firm is about to lose more money than it has, which would be a catastrophic failure.
Peter brings this data to his superiors, including his boss, Will Emerson, and senior risk officer, Sarah Robertson. The firm's executives, including CEO John Tuld, are quickly involved. Tuld decides that in order to save the firm, they must quickly offload all the risky securities in a single day, even though doing so will spread the risk throughout the financial sector and cause tremendous damage to the firm's relationships with its counterparts.
Sam Rogers, one of the firm's senior traders, is tasked with carrying out this fire sale. Despite his objections, he goes through with the plan. The firm successfully sells off the majority of the toxic assets, but the fallout is immediate. Counterparties and clients learn of the firm's deception and are understandably furious. Meanwhile, many of the firm's traders, including Seth Bregman, are left in shock as they watch the crisis unfold.
Sarah Robertson is made the scapegoat for the firm's failure to spot the risk, and is fired. Eric Dale, who originally discovered the issue, is rehired with a generous compensation package to ensure his silence and cooperation, despite the fact that he was ignored when it mattered.
The film ends with Sam Rogers reflecting on the morally bankrupt nature of his work, contemplating his role in the crisis.
Themes and Insights:
"Margin Call" explores the ethical dilemmas faced by people involved in the financial industry, and how their actions can have widespread impacts on society. It depicts the often impersonal and high-stakes nature of financial markets, where massive decisions are made quickly and have significant repercussions. The film also suggests that ultimately, those who make these decisions often escape the consequences, while those lower down the pecking order are left to bear the brunt.
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