HBO: Too Big to Fail

[Purron]

Anyone watch this? Interested in your reactions. For me, it was like watching the train wreck all over again from a different perspective. Given I'm a former financial regulator (very small fish in a big pond) who retired in the midst of the meltdown - this was pretty interesting to me.

I'm sure it is interesting to most here too given that the events depicted impacted us in a material way and forever changed how most of us view finance, investing and politics.

Here's the trailer for those who haven't seen it. As usual, the actual movie was quite different than depicted here, but you get the general idea:

 

[fisherman]

Would love to see it but we do not get HBO. Any other sources for it yet?

 

[nun]

I saw it and enjoyed it....McCain is not depicted kindly. The weakest parts were the obvious and tedious bits of exposition to explain mortgage backed securities and why AIG was about to fail. Using Cynthia Nixon's press secretary (Michele Davis) as a stand in for the ignorant viewer was really obvious and pretty sexist......all the men took time out to explain to her...and the viewers....what was happening. They could have written that part far better. FYI here is an interview with the real Michele Davis.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/breakingthebank/interviews/davis.html

 

[donheff]

I watched it. Paulson came off well although he was one of the architects of the disaster. A key theme underlying the movie was that we were on the brink of a catastrophe that could have dwarfed what actually took place without extreme Government intervention. If that is true I think we are in serious jeopardy if/as we march back up to the brink. In today's environment massive government intervention would seem impossible to achieve.

 

[Purron]

I was fastinated with how the movie depicted the interaction between the feds and bankers - including heavy hitters in banking from Korea, the UK and China. Wonder how close to reality that was?

 

[RockyMtn]

Thought it was very well done. Gave some insight to just how close we actually were to a total and complete financial meltdown not only in the US but the World.

 

[FIREd]

I enjoyed the movie.

 

[clifp]

Of the three books I read on crisis; The Big Short, Too Big to Fail, House of Cards, Too Big to Fail was my favorite. I am looking forward to seeing it, especially because the Oscar winning Insider Job, was such a shoddy and biased piece of work.

I am hoping that my cable company has one of its HBO free weekends coming up soon.

 

[Moemg]

I haven't seen the movie but I have been following and reading a lot about the WAMU take over and yesterday it was apparently settled .
WaMu reaches tentative deal with shareholders: Associated Press Business News - MSN Money

 

[GregLee]

I am hoping that my cable company has one of its HBO free weekends coming up soon.

DirecTV has a free weekend June 9-12 for HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz.

 

[eytonxav]

I saw it over the weekend and enjoyed, although it should probably come with a warning that viewers may find themselves sticking their head's out the window and yelling, I can't take..................