Inside Job

Rating:

In September of 2008, we witnessed the collapse of companies, the loss of jobs, and the downfall of the worldwide economy. What we didn’t witness, however, is how a few businessmen earned hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of it. We were told that this economic crisis was an unpleasant accident, but no. Turns out, we are at a time where the idea of bankrupting countless of families to the point of homelessness is a feasible option as long as it generates a profit.

“Inside Job” is a hard-hitting, eye-opening, rage-inducing documentary that meticulously informs us how the entire world was screwed over by the giants of Wall Street. The movie points its fingers to the, excuse me… thieves… responsible for the recent economic crisis. Most of us were affected. Many of us are still recovering. Who knows? Maybe a few of us hit rock bottom and stayed there.

And for what cost? A short montage in the movie shows the vast kingdom these businessmen enjoy. They have bought more than enough mansions to make Oprah scratch her head. To spot them not wearing an expensive suit is just about as shocking as seeing me wear one. After being made aware of how rich these bastards really are, we stop looking for reasonable explanations behind their criminal actions. I think one of them just wanted an 8^th private jet.

“Inside Job” reveals that the fuse of the “ticking time bomb” was lit in the early 2000’s, when banks started to lend mortgages more frequently and without concern if the customer could repay or not. It was elaborated that investment banks found another way to make more money in less the time. This process was far more dangerous, but they didn’t care. These investors were gambling the money of their customers. They were risking billions of dollars they didn’t even own, and when markets started to tremble, it was the average citizen who suffered the loss.

if you happen to see these men, do not trust them with your money.

When the Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy in September of 2008, its CEO, Richard Fuld, was rewarded with 480 million dollars… as a bonus. It was the regular employees who felt the fall. This was also true to other companies, where its leaders became rich-er in the expense of ordinary and struggling families. It’s discouraging, I’m sure, to discover that the mortgage you first recognized as a blessing was, in the end, a part of a rich man’s scheme to empty your wallet so his could weigh just a little bit more.

Writer, producer, and director Charles Ferguson is highly equipped with documents, stock videos, and statistics. He speaks with some of the people who did much to cause and did nothing to prevent the economic crisis. Most of “Inside Job” will indeed cause anger, but it has a few delightful moments. Such moments are the interviews where guilty men confess not with words, but with the blank look their faces emit when they realize that the truth has a way of confronting them, on camera.

Along with “The Social Network”, “Inside Job” is the most important film of 2010. Both shows an accurate depiction of how much this generation has changed over the years. Approach with caution the men in suits who shake our hands, for they can be a better thief than those who break into our homes. Many of these men were not punished for their actions. They are still in power, and will not stop until they own their 9^th private jet.