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Margin Call
Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. An entry-level analyst unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm.
2011 · Directed by J.C. Chandor · 107 min · Thriller · Drama · Screenplay in the scene database · 9 frames
Tagline
Be first. Be smarter. Or cheat.
Plot
In 2008, an investment bank begins laying off a large number of employees, among them Eric Dale, the head of risk management. Dale's attempts to speak about the implications of a model he is working on are ignored. On his way out, he gives Peter Sullivan, an analyst in his department, a flash drive containing his work, warning him to "be careful". Sullivan, intrigued, works after hours to complete Dale's model.
Sullivan discovers that the assumptions underpinning the firm's risk profile are wrong; historical volatility levels in mortgage-backed securities are being exceeded, so the firm's position in those assets is over-leveraged and the debt incurred from those over-leveraged assets could bankrupt the company. Sullivan calls his colleague, junior analyst Seth Bregman, to return to work with the head of credit trading, Will Emerson. Emerson, in turn, summons Sam Rogers, his boss, after reviewing Sullivan's findings. They are unable to contact Dale because his company phone has been disabled. Sullivan and Bregman go out to find Dale, while Rogers and Emerson inform the company's senior management of the situation.
A meeting of division head Jared Cohen, chief risk management officer Sarah Robertson, and other senior executives concludes that Sullivan's findings are accurate, and CEO John Tuld is called. Upon Tuld's arrival, and after Sullivan explains the problem, Rogers, Cohen, and Tuld spar regarding a course of action: Cohen's plan, favored by Tuld, is a fire sale of the problematic assets. Rogers disagrees, pointing out that the sale will damage the firm's relationships and reputation within the industry and cause major instability in the markets. Tuld stresses that his desire to avoid the firm's bankruptcy is worth that cost.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Written by: J.C. Chandor
- Cinematography: Frankie DeMarco
- Edited by: Pete Beaudreau
- Music: Nathan Larson
- Production design: John Paino
- Produced by: Neal Dodson, Zachary Quinto, Joe Jenckes, Michael Benaroya
Cast
- Kevin Spacey as Sam Rogers
- Zachary Quinto as Peter Sullivan
- Paul Bettany as Will Emerson
- Jeremy Irons as John Tuld
- Simon Baker as Jared Cohen
- Penn Badgley as Seth Bregman
- Demi Moore as Sarah Robertson
- Stanley Tucci as Eric Dale
- Ashley Williams as Heather Burke
- Mary McDonnell as Mary Rogers
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Before the Door Pictures, Washington Square Films, Untitled Entertainment
- Budget: $3,500,000
- Box office: $19,504,039
- Themes: capitalism, brokerage, wall street, based on true story, morality, economics, downsizing, financial crisis, stock market, stock market crash
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