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Cast

William Hurt
as Henry Paulson

Edward Asner
as Warren Buffett

Billy Crudup
as Timothy Geithner

Paul Giamatti
as Ben Bernanke

Topher Grace
as Jim Wilkinson

Matthew Modine
as John Thain

Cynthia Nixon
as Michele Davis

Michael O'Keefe
as Chris Flowers

Bill Pullman
as Jamie Dimon

Tony Shalhoub
as John Mack

James Woods
as Richard Fuld

Amy Carlson
as Erin Callan

Dan Hedaya
as Barney Frank

Kathy Baker
as Wendy Paulson

Ayad Akhtar
as Neel Kashkari

Beau Baxter
as Skip McGee

Erin Dilly
as Christal West

Jonathan Freeman
as Richard Shelby

Linda Glick
as Nancy Pelosi

Evan Handler
as Lloyd Blankfein

John Heard
as Joe Gregory

Peter Hermann
as Christopher Cox

Bud Jones
as Harry Reid

Chance Kelly
as Bart McDade

Laurence Lau
as Greg Fleming

Tom Mason
as Bob Willumstad

Ajay Mehta
as Vikram Pandit

Laila Robins
as Christine Lagarde

Victor Slezak
as Greg Curl

Joey Slotnick
as Dan Jester

Robert Vincent Smith
as Ken Lewis

Steve Tom
as Chris Dodd

Ben Livingston
as Investment Banker

James Saito
as Chinese Official

Erin Burnett
as Herself

Chil Kong
as Min Euoo Sung

Maria Bartiromo
as Herself

Robert Hogan
as Rodgin Cohen

Chandra Thomas
as Assistant

David Faber
as Himself

Josh Casaubon
as Mid-Level Goldman Banker

Danny Darrow
as Mr. Akers

Rob Evans
as Sir Christopher

Rutanya Alda
as Admiral Evans

Peter Benson
as SEC Lawyer

Andrew Ross Sorkin
as Reporter

Fiona Choi
as Second Reporter

Tom Tammi
as Jeffrey Immelt

Steve Liesman
as Himself

Jennifer Van Dyck
as Ruth Porat

Les J.N. Mau
as Gao Xiqing

Jill Dalton
as Mack's Assistant

Patricia Randell
as Chairman Sheila Bair

Casey Biggs
as Dick Kovacevich

Joe Kernen
as Himself

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Critic Reviews for Too Big to Fail

Audience Reviews for Too Big to Fail

• Oct 26, 2013

  It is 2008 and the stock price of Lehman Brothers is falling and CEO Richard Fuld(James Woods) is badly in need of cash and a sugar daddy. However, he rejects Warren Buffett's(Ed Asner) offer of $40 a share as an insult to his pride and his manhood. And then instantly regrets having done so because the stock price keeps falling, and a deal with a Korean consortium falls through. Just to add insult to bankruptcy, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson(William Hurt) says there will be no government bailout this time, so Fuld had better work out something with all the other banks. "Too Big to Fail" is certainly a mixed bag. It gets off to a bad start, as it seems like we've walked into a movie that has already started.(Instead of the archival news footage during the credits, the movie should have instead gone with a Star Wars like scroll: "The empire's finances were beginning to crumble and Karl Marx was laughing in his grave.") And that's not to mention a pedestrian approach to the material and waiting until most of the way through before a discussion of the key issues. However, once it gets going, the movie takes on the form of a suspenseful political thriller at times. And it works having Paulson being the focal point of the movie as Hurt is very good in the role and it helps to have one center of attention with so many characters in play. On the other hand, Paulson, here does seem a little too good to be true, holding firm with sage advice from Ben Bernanke(Paul Giamatti, who almost steals the movie with only a bowl of oatmeal) and Timothy Geithner(Billy Crudup) and assistance from Paulson's Angels(Cynthia Nixon, Topher Grace, Ayad Akhtar & Joey Plotnick).
  Walter M Super Reviewer
• Feb 11, 2013

  If someone wants to take a shortcut instead of reading the whole book, then this movie is a must watch.
  Mohet N Super Reviewer
• Jun 21, 2012

  Too Big to Fail is HBO's effort to dramatize the financial meltdown of 2008. It features an amazing cast, including James Woods, William Hurt, and Ed Asner. All bring a lot of presence to their scenes, even when the script doesn't fully let them shine. We get a lot of moments of tension and good dialogue exchanges, but we also get awkward moments that feel grossly manufactured so as to deliver exposition. In that sense, it's far from Margin Call, a film that brilliantly conveyed tension and steaks with similar themes. At the same time, it's not boring, executed with enough polish to keep it consistently engaging. The politics of the film and the editorializing are rather bland, however, with a far too forgiving portrayal of Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke, when the true origins of the crisis and ongoing turmoil are far more sinister and planned than what the film showed. But HBO was trying to keep it mainstream, so judged on that standard, it was successful, though not "accurate" in the truest sense of the word. 3.5/5 Stars Note: An excellent breakdown of the crisis can be found in the award-winning documentary, Inside Job.
  Jeffrey M Super Reviewer
• Feb 13, 2012

  <i>"You want "too big to fail" here it is! You got a better idea -the suggestion box is wide open!"</i> Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> "Too Big to Fail" addresses the subject of modern-day mega corporations whose failure, however deserving, might be of such catastrophic dimensions that it must be avoided, if at all possible, whatever the cost. The subject matter, the US financial crisis of 2008, is profound and enormous, in terms of its shock at the time and continuing consequences, to trivialize. The main characters - William Hurt, Paul Giamatti, for instance - become aware of the distinct possibility of spiraling into a 21st century version of The Great Depression. We are awestruck by such a possibility. The plot forces at work are both economic and political, both having profound influences. Politics? As usual, it is the Art of the Possible. Economics? A very difficult-to-comprehend arena, neither art nor science. The story leads us, step by step, as numerous characters play their role on this stage. The message: How could they have been so stupid? The filmmakers have hit the nail on the head.
  Lorenzo v Super Reviewer

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