Inside Lehman Brothers

No inside information on Lehman Brothers or what happened. More cliche backstory that isn't believeable. I only got through half of the documentary and realized I was completely wasting my time.

The story of the Lehmann Brothers collapse has been often told, usually focusing on the high-level market manipulations the company used to hide its true financial position. This documentary talks instead to a number of staff, most of whom were involved in making the deals - subprime mortagages - that lost the company its money. What the film adds to the well-known tale is the grim story that when some staff tried to call out the firm's dodgy practices, they were removed and threatened by those trying to keep the scam going. I'd like to have seen a little more financial accounting in the film, but sense of institutional impnity is shocking enough. Those who made the threats appear, like those who ran the firm, to have escaped without punishment.

The film is heavily padded for a dramatic effect that fails, so instead of conveying information it bores, there are sections where it does deliver information at a decent pace, but its not enough of the film to make it a good one. A wasted opportunity considering the people they were able to interview.

Probably the most fictional story of a real financial crisis that did happen. Never got offered RMBS by Lehman, had a ton from Bear. Oops, they got bailed out.

If you are looking for an "inside" story, this isn't it. There is endless boring backstory of leads in story. Watching makeup being put on. Getting dressed, driving around. I saw the same character, get ready (twice) drive, and go to church. I gave up less than halfway in.