Tuld saying "I need you to stay with me for the next 24 months" at the beginning is a psychological ploy that I was taught when I was moving up in management years ago. Saying 24 months instead of 2 years makes the timeframe sound less daunting to the subject - they can tick off the months one by one every time they flip the calendar. And saying "I need you to stay with me" makes the person feel necessary and gives them a sense of partnership, whether it exists or not. Whoever wrote this script understood the higher workings of corporate America to a T.

There simply are not enough movies with Jeremy Irons in them. Dude's so good.

Tuld doesn't outright say it, but his list of financial crises over the centuries is why he was never concerned about Sam's moralizing. Back in the board room Sam was adamant that "you'll never sell anything to those people again!" Tuld is subtly reminding him here that yes they will, because the machine will put itself back together and as one of the survivors they'll still have a piece of it.

Here I am again, watching random clips of Margin Call. Knowing that even thought I've watched the scene 100 times, I'll still make my way back to the 'Sell it All' scene.

I love how Sam saying “I need the money” at the end just shows that Tuld was right when he said “we can’t help ourselves”. Brilliant movie.

Irons calmly eats his lunch, a lunch most of us couldn't afford, for him an everyday occurrance. Part of the brilliance of this scene is the capture of the clink of the silverware on the plate. No panic, no anger, no despair. Just another lumcheon.

I think my favorite part of this is how quickly Irons pivots to facts, and in doing so displays an impressive intelligence. That he could rattle off financial collapses dating back to the 1600's almost effortlessly appeals to logic instead of emotion (since sam was already emotional), and at the same time shows how Irons manages to continually do what he does. In his mind, its cyclical. We do this to ourselves. The added note of, "that fucked me up good" when mentioning '87 is an great subtle appeal to sympathy as if to say "Ive been on the other side of this". The whole speech displays an almost soft callousness to what they just did that doesnt come off as cruel so much as "this is just the way the world is, and we came out on top of it this time". Really well done.

“You’ve been doing that every day for almost 40 years Sam” damn that gives me chills. Just cause it was obvious that day doesn’t mean it’s not all greed the other days. Incredible

the way he says "1987 didnt that fucker fuck me up good" kills me every time lol

“I didn’t get this job because of my brains.” *proceeds to rattle off every global financial crisis of the last five hundred years off the top of his head*

Earlier in the film Tuld says “ it wasn’t brains that got me here” 😂😂😂 this scene shows just how smart he is 👍 fabulous script BTW

Jeremy Irons is just flat out amazing. Watching him, his small gestures and expressions, and listening to his voice and the dialog. Just amazing. And doing it while eating.

Probably one of the only people in America who was disappointed to *keep* his job from 2008-2010

Jeremy Irons is a superb actor, he gives a masterclass in each scene.

Looking back, in 2008 it took the markets only about 18 months to return to their former level. Tomorrow there will be some great bargains for the survivors to pick up. Both Tuld and Sam know that in the extra 24 months he stays, Sam's options will likely become more valuable than they had been the day before they popped the bubble. And the beat goes on. Great scene. Great movie.

Tuld's words may seem shallow and cynical at first, but they are also an indirect reminder to Sam that his career so far has basically been nothing else than playing really high-stakes poker against other brokers and try and put them out of business to keep the personal revenue coming. It's a merciless business and one wrong move can be devastating to your career. He had no quarrels with that so far, so it's irrational to start having them now when he basically did what he was doing anyway all this time, just because this time he had to do it in its most severe form. You'd think Sam would understand this after 34 years with the company, but no. From a purely practical point of view, he may indeed have burned a few bridges by going along with the plan, but saved his job and income as a result of it. The only difference on that day is that he got rid of years' worth of bad stock in just a few hours, thus drawing the rage of some bankers and dooming many more of them. And if it wasn't him doing that, some other bank would have done it the same thing to them not long later. And then he'd be screwed. At least he admits in the end that he will stay only because he's in need of money (he came out of an expensive divorce, which explains his situation). Of course Tuld doesn't care why he stays, so long as he does stay. As he says after this scene, they'll need all the brains they can get now, which is also an indirect compliment and recognition to Sam by the CEO.

Irons is so great in this scene

Anyone else notice how Tuld sniffles/scratches his nose several times throughout the film. My guess is it might be an allusion to cocaine use, a habit he probably adopted over a long career on Wallstreet, and now as an older executive he still uses it occasionally in order to give himself the energy to crawl out of bed at 3am and go be an energetic leader.

I like how his recital of the years financial crisis shows how much tighter the loops are coming.

To come up with a speech like that on the fly - that’s why you became the boss.

I’ve never watched this film but I have seen basically the whole thing through KZfaq clips 😂

It's amazing how we never actually see Irons put food in his mouth.

I, too, would like to say something incredibly obvious about this scene and get everyone to like it with an over the top compliment. Brilliant movie.

Fuck, watching Tuld rattle off those numbers with NYC in the background it's like watching a cinematic history lesson. All of a sudden everything he's saying makes perfect sense and he's right, we can't control it and we're all along for the ride. Which side of history do you want to land on?

Spacey is always amazing. I don't care about his personal life. And Jeremy Irons is a legend.

I think Jeremy Irons is one of the Greatest Actors of all time!! Watch his facial expressions & his hand movements!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Pieces of paper with pictures on them so we don't have to kill each other to get something to eat"

One of so many powerful scenes in this flawless movie. Keep watching all those clips over and over again...

24 months line got me. In sales if your pushing a big ticket item you say the smallest term like 6 years if you’re selling a car. Never say 72 months. If you need to bump someone in payment you say in weeks only 15 dollars a week. These subtleties make a huge impact psychologically. Kudos.

All the complaments of Irons are spot on. He was great in this.

Get ready for the 2023 version!

The real challenge this movie presents is to identify and work through the various manipulations and lies that are thrown against the characters and us, the audience, which reflects real life.

Part of the irony that makes this scene so sad for Sam is that when Tuld diminishes moneys value by reducing it to paper with pictures so people can eat, Sam is forced to admit that even after 40 years of making gods of money, he too must eat.

Brilliant Acting by two Greats. This exposes the attitudes and mindsets of the 'elite' who are like sharks in a tank constantly watching each other, so can you imagine how they view the mass of people 'outside of the tank' who they exploit to satisfy their own greed and egos.

I love this scence, as it shows so much about corporate America. The CEO of the firm and his most senior trades guy are featured, because this whole sell-off came down to them. Tuld shows that he truly has no conscience and does not give a shit at all about the devestation he has wrought in that 8 hour period, in fact saying that he's feeling better about the whole thing - of course he is, now that he's out of the shit. And Tuld correctly tells Sam that he's not going anywhere because Sam is wrong - they will sell to these very same people again, because this is the biggest grift of the milennia, and the people involved just can't help themselves. Tuld knows he still needs Sam's know how and connections to keep his sales and trades in top shape, and Sam is one of the winners Tuld talks about, even though Sam hates the taste of it.

"it's just money" I think about this line a lot. Not in this context, of course. I don't have that luxury. But when I listen to my colleagues complain about having to work to their bones without having time to do anything else, I just bring this line up and gauge their reaction to it. Gets me a pause and an interesting conversation every time.

One of the best films ever!

This is the portion of the film where any moral ambiguity is set to the side - Tuld lists off 15 other recessions and basically tells Sam: you can either profit off this like you always have, or you can get out - but you can't pretend to take a moral/ethical stand if you do because you've been complicit for 34 years. It's also notable how quickly Tuld goes back to his crossword when Sam starts to leave (clipped from this, shouldn't have been). He has absolutely no discernable high conscience or any moral dilemmas to be pondered. Phenomenal acting by Jeremy Irons.

"it's just money" that's such a great portrayal of how detached people at the top are, no idea about normal people's livelihoods, the shit they have to go through over the next period. The way he oversimplifies just like a person that has never wanted for anything in his life. These people exist and this is exactly their attitude.

I wish real-life financial folks were as erudite as the J.I. character in this scene. In my experience, most of them are just juvenile, narcissistic a-holes, talking about nothing else but the best hotel in town. If there's any philosophy to be gleaned from the world of finance, it certainly doesn't show in the sad characters I've met in that world. I'm not a socialist or anything, but the system just sucks, and it produces sub-par humans without any sense of dignity. Hell, one of my team "leaders" literally ate his own boogers. Our quant was crying her eyes out every night, after a 16-hour shift, because the numbers didn't make sense. He just gave her a good dressing-down, on top of that. Finance reserves the reputation it has. It's not really the people's fault. If you throw six digits at a 22-year-old, s/he will inevitably go haywire. Trust me, I've been there.

Saddest part of that was him saying I need the money after all this time I need the money

I just noticed that's a $25 bottle of Chianti on the table. Could've sprung for something a bit more fitting for the scene!

Really enjoyed this movie. I know it’s Hollywood but it seemed to really capture something.

1637: Tulip mania Bubble 1797: Panic of 1796-1797 1819: Panic of 1819 1837: Panic of 1837 1857: Panic of 1857 1884: Panic of 1884 1901: Panic of 1901 1907: Panic of 1907 1929: Wall Street Crash of 1929 1937: Recession of 1937-1938 1974: 1973-1974 stock market crash 1987: Black Monday 1992: Black Wednesday 1997: 1997 Asian financial crisis + October 27, 1997, mini-crash 2000: Dot-com bubble I was just curious 😆

I guess if you are soft-spoken and highly articulate, you can say really callous and evil things and get away with it.

Jeremy Irons stole the whole movie with his performance. Enigmatic from start to finish!

The biggest irony is that everything he said would be just as great an impetus to leave, just as it is to stay.

Wealth is multigenerational. At some point, several people across multiple generations have to drag themselves into work every day for a lifetime and manage to save something to pass on. Then factor in all the life circumstances that can just wipe people out. Tax. It's no small thing.

Phenomenal movie with phenomenal actors

Love this movie

I've probably watched this scene 50 times since this came out, and I'm concerned because I'm starting to view the world more like Tuld

He knows you need the money.

This scene is one of my favorite things humans have put to film. We really can't help ourselves, it's not a politics problem, it's not an ideology problem. It's a human nature problem.

Hearing this made me gtfo bed this morning

He said he needs him for 2 years just because that is how long it takes to find a replacement 😂

I'm convinced that the look on Spacey's face beginning at 1:00 is the look of genuine stunned admiration for Jeremy Iron's acting.

Boss asked me to stay for 12 months and I ended up staying for 12 years. Finally sent quit notice via whatsapp using a prepaid card number while boarding for a flight to Reykjavik. What a great feeling.

It dawned on him he was being given the same pitch he gave his employees.

The greatest voice in acting since John Caradine

Sam's resigned weariness is well played by Spacey

Brings back bad memories 😢

Who chews a bite of food for 3 minutes? :D

It's not just money when you literally can't afford to live. Money is food, shelter, healthcare, freedom. Money is necessary to live. Many people die every day for lack of money. Only the confortable can say "it's just money." Of course, these characters have the opposite problem. They have all they ever need, but they're insatiable. And they don't care how many people they hurt if it means getting more and more money, far in excess of what they would ever need to live comfortably. They don't seek money as a means to an end, they seek money as an end in itself. This is a foolish way to spend a life.

The relationship between Tuld (Irons) and Sam (Spacey) is the most interesting in the film. Spacey is the only one to address the CEO informally. He also seems as old or slightly younger than the CEO but much older than everyone else in the room.

The dwindle is the perceptive difference 2 accounting

This scene reminds me of the scene in Wall Street where bud fox confronts Gordon gekko about the yard sale at blue star.

I love this movie- using Lehman Bros as a template.Jeremy Irons is an absolutely badass actor who just nails this role!

2 of my favorite actors. I could listen to a conversation between Jeremy irons and Kevin spacey all day long.

“I need the money” is the sad, desperate and horrible reality of it all. It’s absolutely true. Something like a $300k basic salary, full benefits package and over $1m bonus and LTIPS in a very good year for the firm and it’s still not enough when you are in that life. It just creeps up on you.

"at least there'd be some holes in the ground to show for it" What a burn on the real worth, or lack thereof, of what they had been doing

The rattling off of historic market crashes almost gives Tuld a diabolical touch, albeit an aloof, neutral kind of malevolence. As if he were a devil among mortals who just got used to their patterns of self destruction, patterns no infernal agent had any hand in instigating, he just idles away and bets as if it were a cointoss, knowing his fundamental understanding of human behavior and greed will always ensure he is several hundred steps ahead of the game.

It’s just money. It’s made up. What a great quote and frighteningly true

The guy who did all the job to save the firm comes high to ask for money, and the one in charge of giving him or not is eating there…

Pueden traducirla al español?

ust piece of paper with pic on it so we don’t have to kill each other for foods.. well said

Never tell someone what you need. They will use it to control you.

01:32 the expression of : im eating dinner with the fucking devil

The asymmetry in Tuld’s logic is the appalling part of the whole system. He spits out facts. And he is, in a sense, right: this is just a machine that goes up and down, back and forth. But by casting this as a mathematical construct, with allusions to very abstract concepts (say, for example, a predator prey model), he undercuts the very foundations of the system: People haven’t signed on to this because of some mathematical model that will function from time to time on the basis of some cold hard acceptance of the system under which people operate. Quite to the contrary, people are signing up to the system for a myriad of reasons, many with appeals to emotions that are irrational. And Tuld knows that these functions are exploited constantly. When he says “We can’t help ourselves.” He’s making it seem as if society has some hopeless tendency. But this attempt to make it meaningless is really more serving him, as we could hope that they can both stand up, put the napkin down, and move on. Really, the bad financial decisions have been made by the people in this scene. Sure, the average homeowner has screwed themselves by tying it to an unrealistic economy. But the reality is that the people behind the levers have tied their entire existence to the functioning of the system as under their control. This is far more an outsized influence than the actions of a homeowner that has bought in house maybe 200-500k over it’s true value. As shown in the conference room meeting when the situation is explained, the entire question is in how they over-leveraged themselves. They took on the risk. That’s the true underlying issue of how Tuld tries to skirt around responsibility.

A man of statistics is a man that doesn’t lie.

I’ve now watched half this movie in YT clips.

What does Tuld want him for. How many traders are there left for him to oversee? Who in the industry will take his calls?

Master class in acting

I like how rambles on with the years …. It’s important to have a sense of history.

What movie is this?

Irons is a beast

Anyone recognize this restaurant?

I could be reading too much into it, but I always took Tuld's rattling off of historical financial disasters as evidence of a private, classical education-i.e., a quiet indication that he probably came from money to begin with even before he was running a company of this size. And that in itself would have a lot to do with his perspective on money and the right or wrong of it.

It was like hot potato. Everybody kept taking on these bad loans and they would just immediately sell them to the next guy, collecting their fees, and letting that guy deal with the ticking time bomb. They knew eventually somebody would have to pay the piper, but at least it wouldn't be them. They made their money and got those loans off of their books, so who cares? Turns out they were completely right. It ended up being the tax payer who ended up having to pay the bill in the end, because as I said before, somebody WOULD HAVE TO PAY. And it wasn't them.

"No one gets rich on Wall Street. They just acquire new levels of relative poverty." - Liars' Poker, Michael Lewis And look no further than Sam's life for proof.

Jeremy Irons should have used an American English accent, it may give the viewers the wrong impression that this atrocity wasn't American-based with corporate moguls exuding greed through their nostrils.

We get the world we live in, and we live in a world with people who do not care about people making 'big bucks' so that 'they may survive'. The world is insane.

2:10- Spacey looks like a Lollipop Kid from Oz

They use same tactics in loans. They never say how many years a loan is. They throw in number of months.

Such an under rated movie.

"Hard to believe after all these years, but, I need the money," what is he (Sam) trying to say? Maybe that he spent all the presumably fortune he made during all those years, or else, that having enough is never an option to some. Wow! These two guys can certainly act, this is indeed acting of the highest order. Great movie, by the way.

1:37 2027 probably is gonna suck

Why did Sam say he needed the money? He divorced, alone, 40 years of savings, received a generous check and could've received his options and a bonus? So, why? What am I missing?

And this is why I'm a simple, humble, self-employed musician, and I always will be. I could never be a part of this "Wallstreet world". The backstabbing, the embezzlement, the fraud, the scheming, the sell-outs, the corporate greed, the justification of dishonesty... It's horrendous! Though I have to say that the acting in this scene is superb!!!!

1:36 years ending in 4 and 7 are brutal

One of the great films about Capitalism and how the world works. Best acting by a group of actors assembled - so good