Bliss! An intelligent, gripping, superbly acted drama about what led
to the current financial meltdown, told not as a docu-drama, but
through the prism of a fictional Goldman Sachs-type mega-firm. Even if
there had been talented unknowns in the cast, the whip-smart
screenplay would have carried the audience along with them. But oh my
stars — these are A-listers at their very peak, striking sparks both
individually and off one another. Many good movies are memorable for
one or two juicy scenes. Here, pretty much the entire film soars. Part
of the reason is that the “villains” are not simply nasty greedmongers
with no understanding of the larger problem; they're flawed (in
varying degrees) human beings caught up in an unstoppable tidal wave
of corrupt capital. That includes top dog Jeremy Irons: Is this actor
one big humongous ham…or is he one of our greatest screen treasures?
It doesn't matter! He ROCKS. Additionally, when I saw that Kevin
Spacey was playing yet another “tough” business executive, I thought,
well, here he goes again. Not so! This time, Spacey's intensity and
drive are offset by an unexpectedly gentle side which, in a throat-
lumpy flourish at the end, beautifully ties up this story of business
world skullduggery and its impact on the lives of the employees. It's
as if Rod Serling's PATTERNS had been remade for the new reality —
with the added excitement of a MICHAEL CLAYTON. This is one Call
you're gonna wanna take! — Jeff Schultz