Too Big Too Fail - B+

On DVD (2011). Trailer.The 2008 Wall Street/Financial system meltdown was a cataclysm several years in the making. The timing (right before a Presidential election without an incumbent candidate) was horrible and the incestuous relationship between the Treasury, the Federal Reserve and Goldman Sachs only exacerbated the situation (don't miss Matt Taibbi's legendary article on GS). Too Big Too Fail (directed by Curtis Hanson) is a very straightforward depiction of these events as they unfolded behind the curtain. The stakes are high and the humans charged with solving the crises are just normal people, which makes it very scary. The cast is uniformly excellent, especially William Hurt as Henry Paulson (Treasury Secretary) and Paul Giammatti as Ben Bernanke (Chairman of the Federal Reserve). My favorite scenes are those between these two men in their private dining room. Hanson's disciplined direction allows the story to tell itself and the actors shine. A must see.