Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Decent reviews on this new documentary - American Casino


By now, you may have heard about sub-prime mortgages, the housing market, and the global financial collapse. For those still scratching their heads, the simplified story goes something like this: until about 2008, financial titans amassed unprecedented amounts of wealth through a housing bubble fueled by too-good-to-be-true mortgage deals until the homeowners began defaulting en masse, causing a ripple effect through credit and lending markets that sent the system into a downward spiral. Or so I’ve heard. Journalist Leslie Cockburn, along with husband and co-writer Andrew Cockburn, is among the first filmmakers to tackle the subject in her feature documentary American Casino. Given Cockburn’s left-leaning politics, it should come as no surprise who the film finds culpable in this mess: the Bushes, Greenspans, and Paulsens of the world. This is not to say that the film is utter propaganda though — this would belie Cockburn’s legitimate credentials.

6 comments:

  1. in chicagoooooo! i want to come home (not really ha)!

    how is the new institute, widdy?

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  2. they're off to a great start - we miss you though!! How do you like Chicago?

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  3. it's wonderful! i can see the Seers (NOT Willis) Tower from my bedroom window! And everything else is lovely, everyone here is beautiful and so friendly! I feel very safe an very at home, but i really miss you all! ...And the institute and the free books haha. I just paid $92 for a paperback book, "Film: A Critical Introduction" and I wanted to cry!! But it has a scene from 'Inside Man' on the cover, woohoo Spike!

    Miss you, che! Take care of that class and Costal ha. Please keep me updated on the goings-on! (cassandra.nguyen@loop.colum.edu)

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  4. Cassie - we miss you too! Study hard and stay safe!

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