Nothing short of excellence from star-studded cast

The Big Short was one of the most highly anticipated films of the holiday season. Directed by Adam McKay and based on Michael Lewis’ book, the story provides a glimpse into the global financial crisis of 2008. This is director McKay’s first dramatic debut, having previously directed movies such as Step Brothers and Anchorman 2.

The Big Short uncovers the intricate makings of the market crash and the few people who were able to get ahead. The A-list cast of Steve Carrell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling does not disappoint. The performances by the actors in this film are phenomenal.

Michael Burry, played by Bale, is an unconventional fund manager from California who foresees the eventual collapse of the financial market and decides to bet against it. As per usual, Bale delivers a superb performance, capturing the eccentricities of his character with a biting humor that has already won him multiple awards this season. Ben Rickert (Pitt) is a reclusive former banker helping the naïve Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Charlie Geller (John Magaro) navigate the waters of Wall Street. Pitt has a small role in the film and gives a solid, understated performance.

However it is Carell, playing Mark Baum, a money manager with an anger problem, who steals the show. Carell, who put on about 20 pounds to play Baum, is unrecognizable in this role. He has seamlessly made the transition from a comedic actor to an A-list movie star, capable of delivering compelling and dramatic performances. Carell’s character acts as a foil to Gosling’s character, Jared Vennet, a smug trader who works the floors of Wall Street and is obsessed with appearance and money. As he did in movies like Crazy, Stupid, Love, Gosling does an excellent job of balancing between arrogance and charm. His character is unabashedly self-centered but remains continually entertaining and a joy to watch.

The cinematography, on the other hand, was not as impressive as the acting. There were old clips from MTV and Funny or Die videos interspersed between scenes. These clips, which were all dated from between 2005 to 2008, were meant to give us a sense of time passing, but the quick jumps were simply distracting and brought on motion sickness. The fact that the director is the founder of Funny or Die also makes the use of these superfluous clips seem like blatant self-promotion and took away from the serious story at hand.

However, a stylistic choice that I did enjoy was McKay’s idea to have random celebrities show up to explain complicated financial concepts. For example, there was a scene in which we see Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) naked in a bubble bath drinking champagne. She then goes on to explain how mortgages work, what a subprime mortgage is and why these mortgages are so risky — all while sipping from a flute of champagne in the bathtub. There are similar lessons interspersed throughout the movie, including appearances from Selena Gomez and Anthony Bourdain. These scenes were a brilliant move on McKay’s part because he was able to make the often complex world of finance accessible to all audiences.

With clever scenes like these and help from a talented cast, McKay has crafted an entertaining and informative account of the Great Recession. For those who were too young to understand what was happening when the 2008 financial crisis hit, this movie will depict, in an easily understandable fashion, the corruption and negligence that caused it all.
WRITTEN BY: Cara Kleinrock – arts@theaggie.org

One-man show La Esquinita comes to UC Davis

This Friday and Saturday, UC Davis alumnus Ruben Gonzalez will be performing his original play, La Esquinita, which highlights the economic pressures wrought on small towns after big companies leave and move abroad. Gonzalez, who graduated with an MFA from Davis, will be playing all 11 roles in the play.

In the performance, which previously was featured off Broadway in New York City, Gonzalez plays 11 different characters ranging in age and ethnicity. Jon Rossini, an associate professor of Theatre and Dance at UC Davis, looks forward to witnessing how Gonzalez pulls off such a difficult feat.

“[Gonzalez has] to take over a number of different roles and sustain that energy over time and keep track of everything going on,” Rossini said. “What will be fascinating for people will be watching Ruben transforming himself so that you can actually see the different characters emerge out of one actor’s body.”

Grace Lewin, a second-year physics major, is also intrigued by the concept of a one-man show.

“In order to do a one-man show, one would need a great deal of focus and creativity to keep the audience engaged,” Lewin said. “It will be great to see how it can be done.”

Gonzalez not only stars in the play but also wrote the script, which he developed at El Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista under the direction of Kinan Valdez. The inspiration for the narrative came to him while he was substitute teaching at a continuation school and witnessed one of his students dealing with the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash. La Esquinita means “the little corner”; Gonzalez’s hope was to give a voice to those with none.

“Giving voice to the disenfranchised, the people put out on the edges, has always been my model for my solo work,” Gonzalez said. “La Esquinita [represents] the corners in our mind where we feel scared, doubtful or fearful, as well as those little pockets of community that don’t have any representation.”

Gonzalez feels that the play will resonate with college students.

“A lot of kids at this age don’t have a voice,” Gonzalez said. “It’s always the parents or the priest. Someone is always telling you what your life is and how to live it and this kid [in the performance] has to figure it out for himself. It’s about hopelessness and how to find the light at the end of that.”

Despite the play’s Spanish name, Gonzalez assures that everyone will be able to relate to the piece.

La Esquinita will play on take place on Jan. 15 to 16 at 7 p.m. in the Wyatt Theatre. Admission is free and seats are first come, first served. Following the performance, there will be an audience discussion with Gonzalez. For more information, go to http://arts.ucdavis.edu/event/la-esquinita

Improv group, Birdstrike Theatre, delivers laughs and entertainment on Friday nights

If you are wondering what test anxiety, “drunk Joe Biden” and penile measurements have in common, you may find the answer at one of Birdstrike Theatre’s Friday night shows.

Birdstrike Theatre held its first show of winter quarter on Friday, Jan. 8 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. The improvisational comedy troupe has been a cornerstone of the campus entertainment community for over 10 years and still packs the house on performance nights.

The group is made up of 12 members of varying academic and personal backgrounds who perform long-form improvisational comedy. Improvisational comedy, also known more simply as improv, is a type of comedy that does not use any scripts or preconceived ideas, and instead relies on spontaneity, which allows the performance to unfold in real time.

Sarah Lloyd, a fourth-year chemistry major and senior member of Birdstrike, said that she prefers the long-form comedy method because it allows the troupe to commit to their characters and to immerse themselves into their performances.

“We do long-form improv, which is based on situational comedy and character-created worlds. So we do more long, drawn-out things. Our formats are not games; they take about half an hour,” Lloyd said. “We establish a make-believe world. We play make-believe characters. And we wait to see what sort of story unfolds.”

Friday’s show demonstrated the Birdstrikers’ ability to commit to their characters using body language, comedic voices and recurring gags that lasted throughout the duration of their performance.

Birdstrike also employed different methods of improv, incorporating a song into their performance. Scott Gidding, a Davis resident and Sacramento City College student, said that the song was his favorite moment of the evening.

“Probably my favorite part was when they had to improvise in song, because while it does give you a rhythm and it does really help with the thought process, it [also] forces you to think without any hesitation time,” Gidding said.

Birdstrike often works with themes that are relatable to college students in their material. Friday’s show included a spontaneous dance move called “Test Anxiety,” and the group often uses other college tropes, like roommates and parties.

Dillon Hanna, a fourth-year international relations major and Birdstrike member, said that one of his favorite things about Birdstrike is the acceptance and camaraderie he feels as a member.

“One of the things I love about the team is that I can come and be myself and just be silly,” Hanna said. “I don’t have to worry about judgements, I can just come and I know that my team is there to support me no matter what. That’s a great feeling.”

The group’s closeness translates positively into their comedy, and their willingness to push the envelope and invoke ideas that may be taboo brings out the laughs from the audience.

Michael Broussalian, a second-year undeclared student and Birdstriker, said he believes attending a Birdstrike performance can be a moment of relief for both the performers and audience members.

“Laughing is just a way to escape everything for at least a couple of hours,” Broussalian said. “Just come hang out and have fun watching people do fun things. We enjoy it and everyone else enjoys it — it feels like a mutual relationship.”

The relationship between Birdstrike Theatre and their audience is one to be appreciated. Attending a show is a welcome alternative for students looking for something different to do on a Friday night. If you are in need of a lighthearted laugh or a gleeful guffaw, Birdstrike Theatre is your new best friend.

You can catch Birdstrike performing every other Friday night at 8 p.m. in Kleiber Hall. The cost of the events are normally a $1 suggested donation, but if the troupe is partnering with another group for a performance, it may be $5.

Be on the lookout for upcoming performances and stay up to date with the group via their Facebook page.