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As the FBI warning flittered across my television screen, I wondered just what impact this movie would have upon me. I had heard the stories; heard just how maddening the documentary was; heard just how insane it drove folks with the facts it presented and the story it documented. Within minutes – scratch that, seconds, it took only seconds – I was dazzled with a story about the economic collapse of Iceland…and that was only the beginning. America was next. And everything I had heard about the film played out. If nothing else, Inside Job, best explains that nothing comes without consequence – especially when it comes to economics. And it will leave you pissed and, unfortunately, powerless.
America’s economy is in the tank. No one will argue that fact. Yet, what most people don’t understand is that, as a result, the global economy is also suffering. Inside Job, directed by Charles Ferguson, documents this economic unspooling explaining – in terms every one can understand – exactly how it happened. Presented with graphics and digestible language, the writing (also by Ferguson) is crisp and clean and presents the issues with cutting edge precision.
Essentially, what happened was a large scale bank heist that involves people – appointed and re-appointed by our current President – who are still in positions of economic power. Instead of jail, they get political positions. Make sense to you? Me neither. It may not be the point of Ferguson’s film to suggest that all is hopeless, but – after watching the film – I dare you to walk away with anything but an overwhelming sense of defeat – especially if you bought the ticket for President Obama’s election believing in the change he was selling.
People are greedy. That’s the bottom line. And when all government regulations are diminished, people will take advantage of their own profiting. Thus, the financial crisis was born. These aren’t accidents, the film suggests. They are failures of deregulation and conflicts of interest. Ferguson names the names and provides the logic, the rationale, and the evidence that would land a common man in jail. Yet, these billionaires are anything but common. They are rich and they love keeping the middle class in their places with debt and lack of education.
Narrated by Matt Damon, Inside Job feels like it’s just the tip of the iceberg in all this financial madness. It’s thorough and spot on with its analysis and the ending will have you up in arms. Yet, the defeat you feel is also hard to swallow. It is obvious things will not be changing in the near future. It’s obvious the people in power don’t want it to change or are simply clueless to the real issues at stake.
Inside Job isn’t a work of fiction, but it just might document the stuff of movies: the largest bank heist in America in which no one goes to jail for.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some drug and sex-related material.
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