DISINFORMATION
Street: April 24, Prebook: now
> Credit card junkies owe it to themselves to see this study of America's debt.
Though Disinformation's smart and lively docs have generally spoken to leftist political concerns, this fast-moving video essay covers a topic that is decidedly bipartisan: the debt culture in America. Filmmaker/ host Danny Schecter (WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception) covers a broad range of issues, from the merchandising of the shopping impulse (the "Shopping Girl Barbie" doll) to the way in which lending agencies ensnare service people returning from Iraq. The discussion is kept on a breezy level, with the only drawback being that Schecter leaves just a few minutes at the film's end to discuss how consumers can avoid the pitfalls of chronic debt. With subprime loans in the news daily, this is a prime time for a documentary about debt.
Shelf Talk: In Debt We Trust is enjoying a simultaneous DVD release and limited theatrical rollout in major markets and college towns throughout April and May, which should help to give it some awareness. Similarly themed Maxed Out, from Magnolia, built up buzz for the subject matter with its limited theatrical run in March.
Documentary, color, NR (mature themes), 98 min., DVD $19.98© 2007, Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.