This is a film I have wanted to see for some time now. Critically acclaimed on release, I decided early on it had to go on 'The List'. It finally aired on TV this week and so 'The List' became one shorter (although there are still plenty on there). For a film that is very plot driven I found the performances really stood out, which, I guess, is testament to the acting talent on view. Here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Set around the time of the 2008 financial crash, this film documents the goings on in one investment bank in New York. When the head of risk management, Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci), is made redundant, he passes what he has been working on to his colleague, Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto). Dale looks worried as he hands it over and warns Sullivan to be careful. Sullivan looks at the information and fills in the gaps. What he finds will change the financial market forever. He call in his boss, Will Emerson (Paul Bettany), who is out drinking with another colleague, Seth Bergman (Penn Badgley) at the time. Emerson takes one look and calls in his boss, Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey), and so it goes on... Rogers boss Jared Cohen (Simon Baker), Sarah Robertson (Demi Moore) and Ramesh Shah (Aasif Mandvi) are all called in and it's decided they have to call in the head of the company, John Tuld (Jeremy Irons) and the executive board to make a decision. They even bring a reluctant Eric Dale back in to prevent him telling anyone about what he's discovered. All this occurs in one night and what happens the following day sows the seeds of the financial crash.

On the face of it, this film does not appear to be the kind of thing to inspire an audience. I'm here to tell you that is far from the truth; I found it very compelling and a great eye-opener to the mechanics of the financial crash. Great performances all round with top honours going to Jeremy Irons and Kevin Spacey; both really excelled in this one. I think it's a film I'd like to see again because the details of the reasons behind it all are quite complex and I'd like to get a better handle on that. It does lose a little momentum in the final quarter but it's certainly worth investing the time to watch.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.1/10