Casino Jack and
The United States of Money

Anyone who follows politics won't find it a revelation to discover that some abuse the system and line their pockets with ill gotten gains (I could never figure out how to do it, so I went into reviewing movies), but this story is a doozey. It's so hot, Kevin Spacey will be appearing in a movie all about it, but you don't have to wait until later in 2010 to be shocked, surprised and saddened.

Much like Michael Moore going on the warpath against the health care system, guns or capitalism, writer/director Alex Gibney uses interviews with the subjects, quirky film clips, some ironic narration and hard core reporting to tell the story of Jack Abramoff - one of DC's most powerful and richest lobbyists until his house of cards fell down and he landed in jail.

Gibney has great storytelling skills as he takes us all the way back to the beginning to give the audience a feel for how Abramoff got started (he produced the film Red Scorpion!), the relationships he picked up along the way (familiar faces to those who watched or were at the Republican Revolution in the early 90's), and how he was inspired by success to continue pushing the envelope further and further until he finally got caught. In a way, Abramoff's lobbying efforts made him the Enron of politics, complete with the meteoric rise and punishing fall, which makes for fascinating viewing as you start to root against the dastardly villains who had more ego than ethics.

More than that, throughout Casino Jack and the United States of Money, Gibney breaks down the complicated schemes for the audience to understand how Abramoff was committing fraud and fleecing American Indian tribes seeking help with casinos (making Abramoff a modern day Peter Minuit), how he laundered money, how he used his influence to keep sweatshops operating overseas and more. While it can get complicated and dizzying at times, Gibney does a good job keeping it all straight for us, and highlights the most absurd and obscene aspects of the scams for our entertainment and horror.

While Gibney tells the story well, his shocked and borderline naïve narration doesn't always fit. Anyone who goes to see this movie will have enough experience in life and politics to realize something like this can happen, and often does. We don't need the babe in the woods tone from Gibney to generate outrage.

Casino Jack and the United States of Money is a solid documentary that uncovers material even the most avid news watcher might not know

Casino Jack and the United States of Money is rated R for some language.