125. American Horror Story

125. (13 Jun) American Horror Story (2011, Ryan Murphy, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Bradley Buecker, David Semel, Michael Uppendahl, Tim Hunter, Miguel Areta, John Scott & Michael Lehman) 51

Including this first season of American Horror Story in my screening log feels like cheating, but as the show has opted to scam the Emmys by competing as a miniseries it's fallen under my policy to review so-called limited series. My rating is inexplicably generous since the show is so poorly constructed and photographed; I will invariably regret it when it comes time to rank the Emmy nominees.

However, there's something to be said for a work that's made me absolutely adore Jessica Lange. Her only performance, beyond this one, I'd fully embraced was in Normal. Perhaps it's that her unsubtle style is best suited for the small screen. She sinks her teeth into this role like it's a long lost Tennessee Williams play, camping it up shamelessly and grounding a premise that's precariously shaky.

Zachary Quinto is the only thing that's outright bad here besides much of the writing and direction. Connie Britton, Frances Conroy and Teddy Sears are worth noting.

031. Margin Call

031. (25 Jan) Margin Call (2011, J.C. Chandor) 41



Despite the fact the characters work in a financial firm, they're constantly asking one another to dumb things down. It's just bad writing that Kevin Spacey's character has been in his position for 34 years, but has no idea how to read a projection. While it makes sense that this is just a terrible narrative device to make the financial crisis digestible for a mainstream audience, it's rather insulting.

So much time is spent clumsily, broadly indicting greed that there's no time to develop characters or give them arcs. Only Kevin Spacey's character comes close; he's burdened with a dying dog, a hilarious metaphor for his failing company. Chandor's attempts at stylizing his film, usually with off-center framing, occasionally distract from his scripting issues.

MARGIN CALL

Written and Directed by J.C. Chandor

Starring Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany and Zachary Quinto

With most of Wall Street and the world’s major financial sectors being occupied by protestors and ordinary citizens, who can no longer sit idly by while the global economy is destroyed from within, there could be no better timing for J.C. Chandor’s first feature film, MARGIN CALL, to hit theatres. An all-star cast, ranging from veterans like Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore and Jeremy Irons to relative newbies like Zachary Quinto and Penn Badgly, make this debut a memorable and effective contemplation on what seems more and more like the inevitable collapse of the financial system. If you’re feeling a little lost about the world’s financial woes at the moment, occupying Margin Call should clear up those last lingering questions for you.