Best films about the Financial Crisis

A lot of movies have tried to get their arms around this complicated topic: The Economy, which affected every single person not only in the U.S but the entire world. Here are the five films that did it successfully:“Inside Job” (2010): Winner of the Academy Award for best documentary feature, director Charles Ferguson’s film accomplishes the difficult task of taking an unwieldy subject and making it accessible to a wide audience. You do not have to know the difference between a credit default swap and a collateralized debt obligation to feel enraged all over again. Still, it’s a daunting topic, but with the help of user-friendly graphics and Matt Damon’s narration, Ferguson breaks down the meltdown into digestible terms without ever condescending. At the same time, he has managed to make a potentially dry, headache-inducing subject cinematic: “Inside Job” is gorgeous to look at, shiny and crisp with gleaming cinematography.“The Queen of Versailles” (2012): David and Jackie Siegel are not any better. When the economy collapses, they are forced to lay off employees, face foreclosure on their house and start shopping for their eight kids at Wal-Mart to save money.Documentarian and photographer Lauren Greenfield just happened to be there to capture it all, and she never mocks them. The Siegels’ lifestyle is still outrageous, but the sensation of panic they experience and the strain it puts on their marriage are relatable, turning “The Queen of Versailles” from a frothy escape into a sobering reality.“Up in the Air” (2009): Walter Kirn’s novel, which inspired Jason Reitman’s film, came out in 2001 – long before the country’s economic collapse. It felt especially poignant with the inclusion of real-life people who agreed to go on camera to discuss having recently lost their jobs in the recession. But the star of this six-time Oscar nominee, of course, is George Clooney as the charismatic, efficient and perpetually on-the-go Ryan Bingham. “Margin Call” (2011): First-time writer-director J.C. Chandor recreates the earliest moments of the crisis with the tight time frame and claustrophobic setting of a play. Chandor knows this subject well but he also knows well enough to stand back and let the excellent cast of actors he’s amassed – including Kevin Spacey, Jeremy irons, Zachary Quinto and Paul Bettany – do what they do best. “Too Big to Fail” (2011): Curtis Hanson’s made-for-HBO film, based on Andrew Ross Sorkin’s book, plays sort of like a dramatized version of “Inside Job.” Big-name stars portray the central figures in the financial crisis: William Hurt as Henry Paulson, Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke, James Woods and Richard Fuld, Bill Pullman as Jamie Dimon and Billy Crudup as Timothy Geithner. The stunt casting gets a little distracting but the scenery-chewing puts a dramatic (and sometimes humorous) spin on the potentially dry, alienating discussions that take place in board rooms. AP

Leisure

Best films about the Financial Crisis