Iowa Guru & I watched this earlier tonight & discovered an outstanding flick. (Thank you, Netflicks.) This fine, ensemble cast film led by Kevin Spacey & Jeremy Irons depicts about 36 hours in a the day of a major investment house that has found its risk management formula mismatched with reality. Read: 2008.
The writer/director is the son of a Wall Street trader, and he provides a sympathetic view of the characters involved. In other words, it's not a demonization of those involved (although we're not talking saints and angels here), but they are portrayed as vulnerable, scared, greedy, and befuddled human beings (to name but a few qualities revealed in the course of events). While Spacey & Irons are the big names and provide excellent performances, the entire case works very well. (Stanley Tucci also has a small but crucial role.)
To get a sense of the human side of the Crash of 2008 from the inside, I couldn't imagine of a better film consideration. Documentaries can capture events and history, but this film, I thought, captured what I could imagine to the essence of the players involved. The documentary to watch is the one narrated by Matt Damon entitled Inside Job.
