Review: A Crash Course on the Bankster’s “Inside Job”
I think the best name for them would be Howard Beale-movies. You know what I mean: movies which are angry as hell, not going to take it anymore and want YOU to march with them. The most prolific producer of these is Michael Moore, and while I have great respect for the man as a filmmaker, his movies always leave me a little uncomfortable. A lot can be done to fool the audience with some creative editing and quoting out of context, and much of his movies are just a little too one-sided to be accepted without any critical examination on the part of the viewer. After all, the situations being tackled here are very complex, and often regulated by very smart people. Yet for many filmmakers, it’s all too tempting to oversimplify just to get a point across.
One of the many virtues of Charles Ferguson’s Inside Job is that it succeeds in sidestepping most of these issues. It’s clear that the filmmakers have done their homework, and the array of people they have interviewed for the movie is impressive. They include politicians, lawyers, world-class economist and the finance ministers of China and France. And although they come from a wildly different background, all of them have basically the same message: the economic crisis is to be blamed on the reckless risk-taking of Wall Street.
I am no economist, but I do know a little about human nature. And what Inside Job shows beautifully is that the crisis, at it’s core, was due to some very human flaws: greed, peer pressure and lack of perspective. Sins you won’t realize you’ve succumbed to until you realize it’s too late. It makes for some very compelling viewing to see the bankers struggling to defend themselves against the accusations of a world they have been so desperately trying to avoid all these years.
What perhaps works best about Inside Job, however, is that it doesn’t really take an easy side. Politicians on both side of the spectrum are criticized equally severely, and the filmmakers make it clear that this is a deep-rooted problem which can’t be easily solved. This is probably why it never feels overtly preachy, which is refreshing. It’s still very much a movie with an agenda and antagonists, but it give you room for your own interpretation.
Did this movie make me angry as hell? Nah. But I definitely ain’t in the mood for taking it anymore.
B
(7/10)
P.S: Hello World.
12 Comments
Don’t think this deserved to beat ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’. Inside Job was efficient but told us what we already knew.
I guess it’s a somewhat similar situation as the Social Network/King’s Speech debate. Innovation versus Execution. Because no matter how much I liked Exit, you’ll have to admit it was a bit messy at times.
Absolutely the best movie of the year, absolutely deserved to beat Gift Shop, so glad this won, easily the highlight of the Oscars for me. Word to your mother.
Minus the horrible Vanilla Ice reference, and that this film would make my top 5 and not be my #1, I agree with what Aiden R. said. I love documentaries that just inform me about things to an extent that one may not get with the mainstream media who is trying to sex up and politicize everything. I felt, by that standard, this one did a fine job.
I actually thought the Vanilla Ice reference was pretty hilarious. It was a cheeky little joke that wasn’t overdone. But that’s just me.
Thank you, Max. I love you.
And how could you NOT get freakin’ LIVID from watching this movie? I almost punched the old lady sitting next to me I was so mad. Idk, maybe I just need to read the news more.
Well, multiple reasons. One is that I’m European, so the whole crisis hasn’t affected me personally. Secondly, I watched the movie very critically, trying to figure out if I was being misled, so I kept myself from getting too fired up. And thirdly, I’ve never been a big fan of giant corporations anyway, so I sort of expected this.
People are too busy eating their TV dinner while watching “Dancing with the Stars” to be outraged. If this was another country, we would have had a popular uprising and blood in the streets already.
Aiden, I’m not saying you’re horrible for using a Vanilla Ice reference, I’m just saying all reference to Vanilla Ice not involving the words “I’m sorry” are inherently an evil thing. The man is pure evil. If you listen to any of his songs backward you hear animals crying in pain. I mean really, he had sex with Madonna. And if that’s not a justifiable measure of evil, I don’t know what is.
*sarcasm intended*
Exactly the same score I’ve given it. It was a very informative movie, but not more than that. I wouldn’t have chosen it as best documentary, so don’t agree with the Oscars. Though Exit through the Gift Shop or Gasland was better.
I really loved Inside Job. It created an uprising anger in me. While insightful and educational, the host of characters he interviews make it extremely enjoyable too. I loved Gift Shop and Restrepo, but I’m content with Inside Job taking out Best Doco.
I saw Fair Game awhile back and got a trailer for this. I planned to go back the following week to see it, but it was already gone. I have it on my Netflix’s. I believe it’s coming out next week. Thanks for the review. I can’t wait to see it!
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