Momentum recession

Topical almost to a fault, with a plot concentrating on the early days of the current financial crisis (or was it the last one?), Margin Call collects a sizeable bunch of good actors but soon loses momentum and makes everyone look like they have no idea what they’re saying as they spout financialese. Irons plays a parody of himself, and only Spacey manages to look reasonably convincing, simply because you feel sorry for the character without understanding what’s actually happening to him.

Margin Call | Directed by J.C. Chandor (USA 2011) with Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons. Starts September 29