THE BIG SHORT Galas

Almost no one saw the 2008 housing crisis and subsequent global financial crash coming. Almost — yet a handful of investors and financial analysts who looked deep into the ready-to-pop bubble discovered that the country and the world were on the precipice of disaster. They did what anyone working in finance would do with this knowledge: they bet money on it. Christian Bale plays Michael Burry, a borderline personality with a brilliant mind who sees what no one else can. Ryan Gosling is Jared Vennett, a frustrated trader who thinks he can pull one over on the banks. Steve Carell is Mark Baum, a brash loudmouth who finds an opportunity to exploit the greed he sees spawning around him. Brad Pitt is Ben Rickert, a retired trader who wants to help a couple of visionary young investors. With a stellar supporting cast and smart direction from Adam McKay, THE BIG SHORT tells the story of four men who bet everything they had on everyone else being wrong. And they were right.