I coined a term about things I dislike in documentaries. It is the “animated bunnies” explaining complex issues. In an attempt to reach a wider audience, they have to dumb down the information with heavily animated sequences. It shows what the movie thinks about its viewers and also shows how good their research actually is.
One of the reasons why "Inside Job" is one of the best documentaries of 2010 is because it never uses animated bunnies to explain itself. This is well-done journalism. Charles Ferguson has proved himself as one of the best documentarians working today after his Oscar winning film "No End in Sight," the film about the war in Iraq. This one also won on Oscar night, in a year with a surprising amount of excellent documentaries.
"Inside Job" looks at what happened with the economic breakdown and, more importantly, who is to blame. There is no escaping it; this is an angry documentary. Ferguson wants certain people arrested for what they’ve done to the economic market and he is furious that nothing is happening for charges to be pressed The film is a very intelligent, well-presented essay that isn’t just raw emotions.
It never talks down and never compromises in its explanation of what happened. Matt Damon narrates with complete professionalism and ease as he guides viewers through a lot of legal documents and economic situations. Sometimes it is dense information, but the film has an excellent momentum attributable to the fine writing/editing of Chad Beck and Adam Bolt.
This is not a political movie, but a movie against specific individuals and the actions they took. The film will make you angry that the recession even happened and angrier that not a single wrist is being slapped. This is strong investigative journalism that I wished was seen more in other news outlets and strong filmmaking that never relies on cheap tricks to prove its point. The quality speaks for itself.
The DVD and Blu-ray are full of solid features. There is a short making-of featurette that is pretty good. There are a handful of deleted scenes, but the real prize is the commentary track. Ferguson and his producer Audrey Marrs do a very good job talking about how they put things together and what they think about some of the interviews and their statements.
Film: 4.5 Yaps Extras: 4 Yaps