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movie review - Inside Job

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This is a documentary about the great financial crisis, narrated by Matt Damon. In a series of interesting interviews, the movie-maker extracts some interesting revelations about the people who let this happen. One of the members of the board of the Federal Reserve of New York (a board that is chronically under-staffed), for instance, decided to leave to "write a book" as the crisis unfolded. The interviewer is shut down by some of his interviewees along the way, but a clear picture of greed and corruption and mismanagement emerges. It's a coolly dispassionate take on events that should drive anyone to screaming fits. It moves from a background segment telling "How We Got Here" through the entire mess and lands at "Where We Are Now". I was very impressed by the research and preparation that went into each of the segments, and the narration by Damon adds a new dimension in highlighting the findings of the research. I can see why this documentary was awarded an Oscar.

[spoiler alert]

"Where We Are Now" is in deep shit, with an unresolved crisis still simmering. No one's been held accountable, so absolutely nothing will change. I mean, look out the window.

Strongly recommended.