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Over three years have passed since the greatest economic collapse in America since the Great Depression. In 2010, Inside Job examined brilliantly the causations of the financial meltdown via a serious documentary style. In no-less brilliant fashion, Margin Call utilizes a fictional investment bank suddenly teetering on the edge of an abyss as the setting for a dialogue-rich drama, which rivals Wall Street as an instant classic about corporate greed.

Margin Call, which debuted in January at the Sundance Film Festival, takes place over a 24-hour period circa 2008 at a Wall Street investment bank. One morning, a soulless human resource team walks into a trading floor and conducts a massive layoff, including longtime risk management boss Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci), who is bewildered by his sudden misfortune.

Just before he makes his final departure from the floor, Dale hands over to junior employee Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) a zip drive containing a project he wasn’t allowed to finish with a warning to “be careful.” With an office pep talk ringing in his ears from Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey), the grizzled head of trading, Sullivan stays late to complete Dale’s mysterious project.

What Sullivan discovers sends shock waves that first put senior trader Will Emerson (Paul Bettany) in near-panic mode followed by Rogers, then slick senior executive Jared Cohen (Simon Baker) and risk management head Sarah Roberston (Demi Moore). The trouble? the firm’s assets in mortgage-backed securities are about to plunge to the point that the firm will owe more than its market capitalization.

Gordon Gecko once said, “Greed is good,” but not for Rogers as he struggles with CEO John Tuld (Jeremy Irons) over the morality of dumping their poisonous assets onto an unsuspecting market.

First-time feature film writer/director J.C. Chandor manages his supremely talented cast with all the skill of a Joe Torre during the 1990s heyday of the New York Yankees. No one tries to upstage the other as egos seem to have been checked in at the door, but it shouldn’t have been difficult for Margin Call’s stars since each actor has equally rich dialogue to work with.

Credit should also be given to Chandor for not overwhelming us with so much technical jargon that we have to take an economics course at a local community college to understand it all. Chandor avoids getting bogged down in developing what the relationships have been like over the past few years between the major characters. The script contains enough subtle nuances and allusions to give us enough to go on.

Terrific performances abound, but the strongest scenes involve the moral tug-of-war between Tuld and Rogers. Spacey is on top of his game playing a man whose moral compass tries hard to steer him towards a noble path. Tuld threw away his compass a long time ago and Irons, who can sometimes be melodramatic in his roles, delivers a delicious, even-keeled performance that ranks among the best of his career.

Margin Call is a sure bet for dramatic entertainment and is a must-see.

On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing Margin Call receives an A-.

Margin Call is rated R and has a running time of 109 minutes.

Now showing through November 3 @ 

Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square
4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com, or call 913-383-7756 for more information.

Glenwood Arts
9575 Metcalf Ave.
Overland Park, KS
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com, or call 913-642-4404 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.