Director Charles Ferguson makes the financial crisis of 2008 intellectual, understandable, humorous and entertaining in his documentary “Inside Job,” narrated by Matt Damon.
Ferguson is well-known for his award-winning documentary “No End in Sight.” In “Inside Job,” he flawlessly explains the complicated aspects that played into the economic meltdown, including the housing bubble and credit default swaps.
There is a derisive tone throughout the film. Ferguson’s exposure of economists, bankers and politicians is effective in portraying the corruption that caused America’s turmoil.
During interviews, Ferguson was unafraid to call out bankers and investors on their unethical practices. Economist Glenn Hubbard became so angry he began counting down the minutes until the end of the interview.
Ferguson also talks to people from “Tent City” in Florida where hundreds of homeless Americans live in tents while they look for work. The heart-wrenching scene reveals the effects the crash had on middle class Americans.
Most interviews were critical of the banking industry. Ferguson comes off as aggressive, trying to get to the truth rather than the well-planned, optimistic answers most people gave.
The tagline sums up the severity of this crisis in global history: “The film that cost over $20,000,000,000,000 to make.”
“Inside Job” was written by Adam Bolt and Chad Beck and directed by Charles Ferguson.