Steve Carell has become one of the most interesting actors around. His iconic role in The Office certainly showed that he was a wonderful comedic actor, but in the last several years and in particular with his Oscar nominated role in Foxcatcher, he is showing he has quite an acting range. In 2015 he played two very different "dramatic " roles, and in these cases, Steve wins some and he loses some.
The Big Short shows how the great financial downturn of 2008 came to be. What could be as exciting as reading a bunch of Fortune 500 companys' financial reports, is both educational and entertaining thanks to a sharp script and the unique direction of Adam McKay. Characters break the 4th wall to explain to the audience some of the confusing and tedious parts of the financial chats. He incorporates celebrities like Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez to explain these confusing parts. What could have been condescending and eye rolling actually turns out to be quite genius, and it is especially helpful that the "trick" is used in perfect moderation.
The Big Short has a pretty amazing ensemble of actors that includes Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, but it is Christian Bale that is getting the lion share of the attention. Bale's role is certainly the most actory of the bunch with all of its twitches and quirks that zig zag that fine line between performance and going over the top. However, for me it was Steve Carell playing a grumpy caustic character who is actually the moral compass of the film. I looked forward to every scene that he was in and by the end i felt so dismayed by the people and situations who put as all into financial ruin, and it is only Carell's character that actually made any effort to save us. What starts off as a one note grumpy but funny character becomes an extremely complex character by the films end and Carell more than pulls it off.
By accident in the same week I saw the Big Short, I saw another film that Carell had a supporting role in. It is called Freeheld and despite the talent of Carell, Julianne Moore, and Ellen Page it is essentially a gay after school special. Freeheld is The true story of lesbian couple Laurel and Stacie whose lives were torn apart when Laurel became terminally ill. Later Stacie cannot inherit her pension because they are not a legally recognized couple. It is a sad story, and It is a story that happened to many gay couples in the very recent future and should not be forgotten. However, relatively early in the film I realized there just wasn't a movies worth of story there, and where there is no story the movie decides to preach. Though the preaching may be appropriate in context to how these women were treated by the law and by their community it does not make for a compelling film.
Steve Carell jumps in about half way through the movie as a stereotypical capital G gay and capital J Jewish activist who works to both help and exploit the couple. Carell has played a gay character to much better effect in Little Miss Sunshine, and I am not sure whose choice it was to have him play the role in such a way that makes some of the queens on Rupaul's Drag Race look subtle, but it doesn't work. Sadly neither does the movie.
The Big Short 8 out of 10
Freeheld 5 out of 10
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