Maxed Out
Directed by James Scurlock
James Scurlock’s Maxed Out is another example of the recent wave of “social issue” documentaries popping up these days. With the success of Oscar winners An Inconvenient Truth and Bowling For Columbine, as well as popular hits Super Size Me and The Corporation, more activists are turning toward film to get their messages across. Though books by Al Gore and Michael Moore might now hit bestseller lists because of their authors cult status, there’s no question a wider audience can be reached by putting one’s ideas up on a screen. Even Eric Schlosser’s widely read Fast Food Nation crossed over with last year’s film by Richard Linklater. James Scurlock has just one short under his belt, and he somewhat proudly lists in his bio that he has “no formal film training.” He opted instead to go to business school, open restaurants and become a freelance financial analyst—before eventually deciding to move to Hollywood to make films. Well, why not?
Maxed Out is, for better or worse, more human-interest than economic exposé. It’s made up mostly of interviews with people whose lives have been severely altered by the credit industry. This includes widows losing their homes and more family members to suicides than you’ll want to remember. Scurlock challenges the notion that these people were “irresponsible” with their credit, and instead—though not as forcefully as he could have—indicts the credit industry as an unchecked predator that systematically sets us up for failure. To borrow money is to owe money, and there always seem to be lenders available, ready to court you. This eye-opening and necessary documentary will tell you why, how and what might happen. The interviews are informative, entertaining and well pieced together. They’re paired with some expensive songs, absurd educational films from the ’50s (which we now know to be the beginning of the end) and TV broadcasts showing how little our Congress cares.
Though this film, like many of its ilk, doesn’t feature a goofy-looking white man holding our hands and doesn’t use narration (but instead an unfortunately chosen font for its inter-titles), it does seem to be going for a veneer of objective investigative reporting. While enjoyable, and to some degree commendable, I can’t help but wish that this new breed of filmmakers would have more balls: Toss aside your safe liberalism and speak with more conviction. I can’t help but feeling, on some level, that they’re too scared to be truly radical.
Directed by James Scurlock
James Scurlock’s Maxed Out is another example of the recent wave of “social issue” documentaries popping up these days. With the success of Oscar winners An Inconvenient Truth and Bowling For Columbine, as well as popular hits Super Size Me and The Corporation, more activists are turning toward film to get their messages across. Though books by Al Gore and Michael Moore might now hit bestseller lists because of their authors cult status, there’s no question a wider audience can be reached by putting one’s ideas up on a screen. Even Eric Schlosser’s widely read Fast Food Nation crossed over with last year’s film by Richard Linklater. James Scurlock has just one short under his belt, and he somewhat proudly lists in his bio that he has “no formal film training.” He opted instead to go to business school, open restaurants and become a freelance financial analyst—before eventually deciding to move to Hollywood to make films. Well, why not?
Maxed Out is, for better or worse, more human-interest than economic exposé. It’s made up mostly of interviews with people whose lives have been severely altered by the credit industry. This includes widows losing their homes and more family members to suicides than you’ll want to remember. Scurlock challenges the notion that these people were “irresponsible” with their credit, and instead—though not as forcefully as he could have—indicts the credit industry as an unchecked predator that systematically sets us up for failure. To borrow money is to owe money, and there always seem to be lenders available, ready to court you. This eye-opening and necessary documentary will tell you why, how and what might happen. The interviews are informative, entertaining and well pieced together. They’re paired with some expensive songs, absurd educational films from the ’50s (which we now know to be the beginning of the end) and TV broadcasts showing how little our Congress cares.
Though this film, like many of its ilk, doesn’t feature a goofy-looking white man holding our hands and doesn’t use narration (but instead an unfortunately chosen font for its inter-titles), it does seem to be going for a veneer of objective investigative reporting. While enjoyable, and to some degree commendable, I can’t help but wish that this new breed of filmmakers would have more balls: Toss aside your safe liberalism and speak with more conviction. I can’t help but feeling, on some level, that they’re too scared to be truly radical.
