Inside Job (2010)

Academy Award for Best Documentary

directed by Charles Ferguson

narrated by Matt Damon

I don't know very much about Economics. I'm not even sure how I got an A in my college Macro class. Two years later, the only things I've retained (beyond basic supply/demand) are: (1) the system is dependent on tons of imaginary money, but as long as we all act like it's there, everything should be fine, and (2) Keynes may have been right, but we'll never know, because politicians will never raise taxes and cut spending at the same time, ever. So, yeah. Not an expert.

And that's kind of frightening, considering I was an A student. Economics is frustratingly confusing, but it's also a subject of massive importance. I may have opted out of my Advanced Placement Biology exam, but I still feel like I've got a handle on basic biological concepts. Not so with Economics. It's disturbing how little control that gives me. I can't analyze the situation myself; like many other Americans, I have to put trust in smart-looking talking heads who assure us that they know of what they speak.

Inside Job works very hard to destroy that trust. It does a good job of exploring the recession and explaining it in the most accessible way possible. (I particularly enjoyed the animated diagrams.) Even with the simplification, it's hard to wrap your head around it, though. For a helpful summary, I suggest Roger Ebert's review. However, I can't share the hopeful activism he expresses at the end of his assessment:

"That leads me to the matter of financial reform. We need it. We need to return to an era of transparency. We need to restore a market of investments that are what they seem to be. We need to deprive investment banks of the right to trade on behalf of their own accounts. We need to require them to work on behalf of their customers."

The system is clearly broken. But if we acknowledge that, will it break us? It is clear that reform is needed, but is it possible to keep this system from engorging itself? And even if it was possible, is there any chance that it will happen?

That may sound a bit cynical for someone who admits their ignorance on the subject, but it's my honest response. I won't pretend to have answers, but I'm looking for them - as we all should be. In the meantime, Inside Job is a fascinating look into a world somewhat beyond the reach of our comprehension - and, sadly, perhaps beyond the reach of the ballot box.