By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: James D. Scurlock
Country: united_states
Year: 2007
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762117/
Bruce says: “MAXED OUT is the first film I’ve been able to see at the Chlotrudis sponsored Sunday Eye Opener series at the Brattle Theater. MAXED OUT is not the film I had thought it would be. Judging by its title and some early publicity it seemed the film would concentrate on people who are living off credit cards and saddled by debt they may never be able to repay. Indeed, that is about half of the film; the balance is spent on discussing the system that promotes irresponsible behavior and benefits from the misfortunes of others.
“Filmmaker James D. Scurlock mixes things up by alternating talking heads with archival footage of a 1965 archival film called WISE USE OF CREDIT that features a man named Mr. Money talking to two college students. The students take turns asking naïve questions and Mr. Money pontificates. It is quite silly and very much emphasizes how much the financial world has changed in the past fifty years. Mr. Money says ‘No one gives you credit. You have to earn it.’ The best of the talking heads is Liz Warren from Harvard University. Her comments fit in perfectly to assist Scurlock in scoring most of his points. Scurlock knows how to lecture to his audience and, at the same time, make it a fun experience. Background music includes dean martin’s ‘Volare,’ Queen and David Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure,’ and Coldplay’s ‘Trouble.’
“While the individuals profiled in MAXED OUT have heartbreaking stories to tell, the real eye opener here is the extent to which the banking industry has rigged the credit game in its favor. On the one hand the industry has made it easier to get credit (the preferred customers are actually the ones who only pay minimums and carry huge monthly balances); on the other, they have made it more difficult to declare bankruptcy meaning that many millions of Americans are doomed to die penniless. Credit is now extended to the jobless, students with little or no income, the elderly and the near illiterate.
“Scurlock does interview some fly-by-night loan hawkers but his focus is largely on the mainstream. The fact is that we have a government no longer for the people but for big business. Loan sharks, once outlawed, today operate under the logos of most major financial institutions. Regulation is non-existent or left to the industry to self-regulate. Since this movie opened I’ve seen several articles on the topic of credit card debt. It has created a bit of buzz which is good for the country and for the people who live without protection from predatory corporate behavior.
“Yes, there are people who behave irresponsibly. Financial institutions would have one believe that these folks get what they deserve. Then again, they probably would insist that the shallow end of the pool shouldn’t have ‘No Diving’ signs. 4 cats”