[Amazon Prime] I'm thrilled by the movie 'Margin Call'

Warning: Spoilers ahead

It's been a while since I've been this thrilled. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

Although it is technically fiction, it can be seen as depicting the two days just before the Lehman Shock.

It is a story about the night before "the usual daily life" is expected to collapse the next morning. A masterpiece that lets you experience it from the perspective of those involved.

Turbulence and silence

The story begins with a ruthless layoff notice given to a middle-aged man in a management position. From the very beginning, the scenes are bleak and matter-of-fact.

While sadly seeing the man off, the protagonists feel relieved that it wasn't them. However, they gradually realize that their company is in trouble... that the products their company handles might be worth nothing more than scrap paper.

From there, it unfolds rapidly through the long night until morning.

The company might be gone tomorrow. I might lose my job. I might be the one to take the fall. My daily life is about to change. And I will be making enemies all over the world.

The development, where only bad predictions emerge moment by moment, continues in the office district in the middle of the night.

During that time, there is almost no sound other than human voices.

The silence of the office district.

Just imagining it is a nightmare, a kind of fear that cannot be created in a horror movie.

It is incredibly scary.

Is it a dream, or have I woken up?

In such a situation, the film depicts many people in confusion, trying to maintain their composure by the skin of their teeth. This, too, is scary.

Two company executives are in the restroom, having a conversation where one says, "It's like I'm dreaming," and the other replies, "Actually, I've finally woken up." This scene is incredibly symbolic. These are people whose bubble burst half a step ahead of the rest of the world.

They start chain-smoking despite having quit.
They are driven by the urge to jump from a skyscraper.
They are drinking alcohol straight from the bottle.

The scene where a female executive, who had been perfectly put together, finally realizes she is going to be fired and lets down her neatly tied hair.

Everyone is sleep-deprived, barely eating, intoxicated, dealing with unstable home lives, and so on.

While all these factors are mixed together, a rock-bottom tomorrow is approaching moment by moment.

In a sense, it is hyper-realistic about how people behave under extreme circumstances.

Money, money, money.

The final decision made by the company's top brass is to sell and run.

Their products were junk bonds. If that's the case, they should just sell them off.

Pretty words are just for show; ultimately, the economy runs on a eat-or-be-eaten basis.

How to make a profit. In the end, what is chosen is not people, but money, money, money.

Such naked psychology is depicted.

A very simple and cruel side of the world.

The beginning and the end for the manager played by Kevin Spacey, who is admired by his subordinates.

At the beginning, he is seen lamenting the worsening condition of his dog more than the fact that his subordinate was fired.

Then, through the middle, he resists the decision that goes against his conscience until the end, showing a side of being a "good boss," yet he ultimately chooses self-preservation.

And in the final scene, he is seen digging a grave for his beloved dog that has passed away.

The way it depicts the multifaceted and unstable nature of people is also deeply flavorful.

If Tom Clancy's 'Jack Ryan' series is military horror, then this film could be called financial horror.

Looking at the Amazon reviews, opinions are split right down the middle.

It means it's a masterpiece that hits home for those it resonates with.

By the way, the title 'Margin Call' refers to,

Financial-related bonus

Geniuses at making money. The worst as human beings.
What happens when such people get their hands on huge sums of money?
Three hours of human greed running completely wild. The debauchery is so extreme it makes you want to cover your eyes, but it's strangely refreshing. Yet, the essence of business is depicted quite casually. I really like it as a work.

I became interested in finance, economics, and investing after following Emin-san's social media. How the world is moving. He picks fights with a certain country to the point where I wonder, 'Is it okay to write this much?!' And after reading, he makes me feel that Japan's future is bright.

The Japan Company Handbook! Once you know how to read it, it's incredibly interesting.
This isn't a dictionary, it's reading material. You read the stories woven by about 4,000 listed companies.
You'll gradually get used to how to read it by watching YouTube. If you're going to be a fan of something, it should be companies.

Fujisanoffers a slightly better deal for subscriptions.

Also, withFujisan, you can read back issues of magazines for free.

Enjoy a deeply noir world at the end of the year.
The drama is fiction, and the original work is a shocking piece of non-fiction...

On the happiness of encountering a work that is perfect in every way.

A companion for your year-end shopping.