Inside Job (Blu-ray Review)
One of the most anticipated and well received documentaries of 2010 is Charles Ferguson’s Inside Job. If you’re curious as to how this global recession all started then you don’t need to go anywhere else. Inside Job chronicles the events that led to a $20 TRILLION global financial crisis. Yes, I said TRILLION. Strap yourself in, hold on tight, because it’s going to be a wild and bumpy ride!
Film 
Before we get to the meat and potatoes of this review I want to familiarize readers with a particular word, because you will be hearing it a lot, so it’s kind of my duty to steer you in the right direction. Derivative = An investment that derives its value from another more fundamental investment, as a commitment to buy a bond for a certain sum on a certain date. A security whose price is dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying assets. The derivative itself is merely a contract between two or more parties. Its value is determined by fluctuations in the underlying asset. The most common underlying assets include stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, interest rates and market indexes. Most derivatives are characterized by high leverage.
Did you get all of that? Well, neither did most people who dealt with them. Inside Job starts off with some simple narration from Matt Damon, but continues to grow dire as all the facts, details, schemes, etc., are laid out in explicit detail by Ferguson. Inside Job comes equipped with some really cool graphics, charts, sound bites, archive footage that are seamlessly integrated into the film. For an informational documentary film Inside Job delivers the goods in a very clear and easy to follow format. Charles Ferguson took his crew all over the world including stops in: Iceland, UK, France, Singapore, and all over the U.S.
Video 
Inside Job is presented in a 1080p high definition 2.:35.1 widescreen aspect ratio. Hey, good lookin’! Yes, this is a GREAT looking disc! As I said in my review, the cinematography and some of the shots in Inside Job are absolutely gorgeous! Inside Job was shot all over the world in many different countries. Colors are bright and vivid and do carry a certain 3-D dimensionality to them. I didn’t detect any DNR or edge enhancement. I did notice that the picture was crisp and sharp, but not artificially so. It does not get a perfect score, because on occasion I did detect tiny white flickers. They come off as tiny spots of white which aren’t too distracting, but shouldn’t be there. Other than that very minor quibble, this is a beautiful looking documentary film.
Audio
Inside Job is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Yes, even for a documentary film the audio quality is amazingly good! It’s a dialogue driven film, but it all comes out clean and clear with no clipping, noise, or any imperfections. There are several musical cues which give the subwoofer and rear surrounds a nice workout. As I said, for a documentary film Inside Job delivers the sonic booms.
Special Features
Inside Job is a fully loaded Blu-ray which includes TONS of deleted scenes. On the strength of these deleted scenes, Inside Job gets a high rating for special features. In addition to the deleted scenes we have a making-of fetaurette, director and producer commentary track, trailers, and more. There is one Blu-ray exclusive which is an additional 60 minutes of new deleted scenes on top of the regular deleted scenes. Wow!
- Deleted Scenes
- The Making of Inside Job
- Commentary with Director Charles Ferguson & Producer Audre Marrs
- Blu-ray EXCLUSIVE – Over 60 minutes of additional Deleted Scenes
- Trailer
Final Thoughts
Even if I have to reach through my computer screen and grab you by the collar, Inside Job is the one documentary that you cannot afford to miss this year. I assure you that it will be spelled out in plain English that which you cannot understand when you watch the news or boring financial reports. Inside Job is not boring at all. Let’s shake out of apathy and get it done by giving Inside Job a spin on Blu-ray.
Bring home Inside Job on Blu-ray!
Nice job Gerard! I’ll have to add this to my queue.
Thanks Sean. Yeah, this film NEEDS to be seen by all, IMO.
I’m not one for docs, but it seems worthy of a watch!
And a big congrats go out to Charles Ferguson for winning the Oscar for his film Inside Job.
I told y’all it was that GOOD. 😉
When he won, I’m glad he pointed out that not one CEO from that entire debacle ever went to jail. Makes you wonder who got paid off and how in our government.