This week’s column talks about two dramatic films with one comedy thrown in to lighten the mood. The Big Short tells the story of four people outside the financial world, who predicted the credit and housing collapse in the mid-2000’s and how they then decided to go after the big banks because of their overwhelming greed. Truth is a biographical drama that describes the 2004 60 Minutes investigation into then-President George W. Bush’s military service record and the ensuing fallout that cost anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes their careers in broadcasting. Finally, Man Up is a comedy that follows a single woman who is mistaken for a stranger’s blind date, but the situation leads her to finding the boyfriend of her dreams. All of these films have tremendously talented actors and actresses in their casts, who portray their characters with tenaciousness and humor.
The Big Short is a drama starring Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Selena Gomez, Marisa Tomei, Steve Carell, Melissa Leo, Into the Woods’ Billy Magnussen and Selfie’s Karen Gillan. The film’s plot, which is based on the 2010 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, follows four people, who were not in any way involved in the financial world yet they predicted the mid-2000 credit and housing collapse. They then resolved to take down the big banks because of their insatiable monetary hunger. The drama’s trailer illustrates how four people with no connection whatsoever went to the financial world, foresaw the infamous downfall and then attempted to deflate the big banks due to their quest for wealth at any cost. It opens in theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
Truth is a biographical political drama starring Robert Redford, Cate Blanchett, Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid, Bruce Greenwood, Stacy Keach, Elisabeth Moss, Revolution’s David Lyons and The Big C’s John Benjamin Hickey. Based on Mary Mapes’ 2005 memoir “Truth and Duty: The Press, The President and the Privilege of Power,” the film chronicles the controversy surrounding the 2004 60 Minutes story that included unverifiable documentation that then-President George W. Bush, who was running for re-election, relied on preferential treatment to avoid having to being sent to fight in the Vietnam War. The motion picture’s trailer shows how anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes’ careers in hard news broadcasting were destroyed by their voracious investigation into Bush’s military career. It opens in theaters on Friday, Oct. 16.
Man Up is a comedy starring Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Olivia Williams, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Ophelia Lovibond, The Hobbit film trilogy’s Ken Stott, >i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’s Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Penny Dreadful’s Rory Kinnear. This romantic comedy’s plot revolves around Nancy (Bell,) a single woman who is mistaken for Jack’s (Pegg) blind date. Yet, despite the mix-up, Nancy finds that Jack might just be the boyfriend she’s been looking for. The movie’s trailer displays how Nancy, despite repeated attempts at trying to find a boyfriend, she’s found no one. Yet, in a case of mistaken identity, Jack thinks she’s his blind date. As they get to know each other, they fall in love, but when Jack finds out the truth, will he stick around or bolt? It opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 13.