Margin Call (2011)
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A group of employees at a large Wall Street investment bank must navigate a desperate crisis as they realize their firm's assets are dangerously over-leveraged.
The story
In 2008, an investment bank begins laying off employees, including the head of risk management, who leaves behind a warning about a flawed risk model. A junior analyst discovers that the firm's position in mortgage-backed securities is over-leveraged, threatening to bankrupt the company. As the realization spreads, the firm's leadership must decide how to handle the crisis. The film follows the tense, high-stakes negotiations and internal conflicts that arise as the employees and executives grapple with the immediate consequences of the market's instability and the potential for a catastrophic financial collapse.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2008, an investment bank faces a crisis when a risk management head, Eric Dale, leaves the firm and passes a warning to an analyst, Peter Sullivan. Sullivan discovers that the firm's mortgage-backed securities are over-leveraged, potentially leading to bankruptcy. This discovery is shared with colleagues and eventually reaches the CEO, John Tuld. Tuld and his team decide on a 'fire sale' of assets to save the firm, despite warnings about the damage to their reputation. Meanwhile, Dale is pressured into cooperating with the plan. The firm successfully sells off the assets but faces backlash from partners. Following the crisis, a series of layoffs occurs. One executive, who initially opposed the fire sale, is offered a promotion but chooses to stay out of financial necessity, while another finds a moment of personal solace after the turmoil.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- J. C. Chandor
- Writers
- J. C. Chandor · writer
- Genres
- drama; thriller
- Themes
- financial crisis; corporate ethics; moral compromise
- Tone and mood
- tense; clinical; anxious
- Premise and plot tags
- financial thriller; corporate drama
- Reception
- The film received positive critical reviews, with critics praising it as a compelling and insightful portrayal of the financial crisis and the corporate environment.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Awards and nominations
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards · best first film · 2011 · win; San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards · best original screenplay · 2011 · win; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · 2011 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was partly inspired by the director's own experience with real estate investments in NYC.; The character John Tuld's name is a combination of the names of the CEOs of Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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