Inside Job (Review)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwXpG6fjUdU[/youtube]

Inside Job is a highly recommended watch if you’d like to gain a better understanding of the 2008 economic crisis.

Written and directed by Charles Ferguson, who examined the impact of the US invasion of Iraq through his documentary No End in Sight – Ferguson’s new film traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships that have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.

Activist investor William Ackman, whose 2007 presentation "Who is Holding the Bag?" was one of the first warnings about the impending financial crisis.

The film offers a succinct and comprehensive overview (running time is 109 minutes) of a very complex subject matter, and tries to explain the fundamental nature and causes of the global financial crisis.

In this documentary, Ferguson has conducted extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, including William Ackman, founder and chief of hedge fund Perishing Square Capital Management who was among the first to warn about the impending crisis in 2007; John Campbell, chair of Harvard University’s economics department; Glenn Hubbarb, chief economic advisor during the Bush Administration; and French Minister of Finance Christine Lagarde.

On set, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong preparing for the interview.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who formerly served as the chairman of the Monetary Reserve of Singapore and finance minister, was also among those interviewed by Ferguson.

The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their homes and jobs.

Ferguson said it was his hope that, “whatever political opinions individual viewers may have, that after seeing this film we can all agree on the importance of restoring honesty and stability to our financial system, and of holding accountable those who destroyed it.”

Inside Job opens in cinemas February 17, 2011.