Graphs and figures don’t normally make for exciting movie-watching, but Inside Job, the story of the 2008 financial crisis, is a bit of a one-off, as Ross McG found out…
Inside Job (four stars)
There have been many films in the past few years to make audiences angry. Transformers 2 springs to mind. But in the case of Inside Job, the anger it generates is an indication of its effectiveness at getting its message across. And its message is that investment bankers are bad. Really bad. Examining the background and consequences of the economic meltdown that shook the world in 2008, director Charles Ferguson’s documentary takes firm aim at the financial executives, politicians and academics that caused the crisis. Essentially an articulate and unwavering case for the prosecution, Inside Job is a hard-hitting, informative and often gripping drama. Unfortunately for the millions who lost their homes and livelihoods, it was a drama that was all too real. Between Matt Damon’s soothing narration and Ferguson’s undoubted skill as an interviewer, the film rattles through a wave of financial talking heads to tell a story of greed and arrogance among America’s financial leaders. As one interviewee tells it: ‘Banking became a pissing contest.’ A worthy winner of this year’s Oscar for best documentary.
This review first appeared in the Metro newspaper
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