Maxed Out (2006)

Documentary. Here is a truly eye-opening expose of predatory lending practices where credit card companies intentionally target high-risk persons, then penalize them irremediably, all while stuffing the politicians' pockets and writing their own carte-blanche legislation (the anti-bankruptcy bill, authored by the largest Bush campaign contributor). The human side of this story is replete with numerous suicide and foreclosure victims who were financially responsible until the credit card companies, like the tobacco industry, deliberately and unethically manipulated them with harmful products that the companies know will have inevitable and irreversible detrimental effects on their health and livelihood. What makes it worse is how the "haves" chuckle and simper over the misfortune of the "have-nots" whose life's possessions they are taking away even as they claim they have been blameless for doing the right thing. Don't miss the attorney who decries the 90% error rate of credit bureau records -- unless you're flagged as a VIP (a politician or an actor), when the bureaus will ensure that your record is 100% accurate. A two-tiered society, yes, we have become so -- because of Reaganomics on down to the man who is a divider, not a uniter. 5 stars.