Joe Smith

As a former member of the financial world... what can I say.... This movie does an amazing job of breaking down every reason I left that industry. Shadiness, greed, actuarialization and ruthlessness combined with a corporate/political compartmentalization that makes it impossible for any one group, let alone a single person, to understand the full problem... and why it impacted the entire world... and really... continues to do so almost 12 years later (at the time of this posting). It only tells part of the picture though. The scope of the problem goes way beyond just the short sellers. You would have to watch a few different films and documentaries to get even half the picture. As far the movie's depiction of how things work behind the scenes... I think they were pretty spot on... taking a few liberties here and there... but mostly this is an accurate depiction of how the shady deals are done with nothing but bonuses and profits in mind... even to the point where the perpetrators have convinced themselves that what they are doing is right... because... profits. Profits = Higher Stock Prices Higher Stock Prices = Happy Shareholders Happy shareholders = A Job Well Done. They really don't think about it beyond that when justifying their actions, outrageous bonuses, powerful lobbies, and crooked dealings that pillage the world's wealth. This movie shows a little bit of each part of that chain of thoughts and actions that lead to the housing collapse... which in turn caused Too Big To Fail (watch on HBO, 5-stars)... which lead to the Occupy/Tea Party Movement... which then lead to Donald Trump. If you want to learn more... and go back further to understand what caused these events... look into the deregulation of the banks and financial firms from Reagan to Bush Jr.

I love this movie... and yeah... I'm white. Its not about guilt or band-waggoning though. I actually love it. This movie is brilliantly done. You can't help but relate to and feel every pain Solomon and the other people enslaved... especially Patsey... endures. People are awful. Its the only truth that seems to be constant in our existence... but it also shows that even though the awful ones outnumber the good ones from time to time... even one selfless person can make a difference amongst the masses of violent oppressives. Its a message for all... not a just a reminder of past mistakes and injustices.

I think this movie is underrated. Yes... its taking some liberties with Egyptian mythology... but its a fantasy!!! Come on ya'll... its fun... its colorful... and it has a good message for anyone willing to let go of the modern anti-hero definition of a strong protangonist... and instead think of Horace more like the old-timey reluctant/defeated hero type on a journey of redemption. Is it a little bit white-washed?... maybe. But then again... strong female representation with many minorties represented... so just because they went with Nicolai... because of the GOT hype behind his redemption arc at that time... played well into Horace's character... and had a somewhat baked-in fan base lined up. It was a brilliant plan... and could have launched a decent franchise with a large variety of characters with plenty of room for added diversity. Too bad critics can be so mean when they walk in expecting Jaime Lannister and got something far, far less sister-loving and much more something you could watch with your older, comic-book-movie-loving kids and have a blast!