Collapse

In theaters: November 6, 2009

Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch

Synopsis: "...Americans generally like to hear good news. They like to believe that a new President will right old wrongs, that clean energy will replace dirty oil, and that fresh thinking will set the economy straight. American pundits tend to restrain their pessimism and to hope for the best. But is anyone prepared for the worst? Michael Ruppert is a different kind of American. A former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter, he predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter “From the Wilderness” at a time when most Wall Street and Washington analysts were still in denial. Smith has always had a feeling for outsiders in films like “American Movie” and “American Job.” In “Collapse,” Smith stylistically departs from his past films by interviewing Ruppert in a format that recalls the work of Errol Morris and Spalding Gray. Sitting in a room that looks like a bunker, Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the crises he sees ahead. He draws upon the same news reports and data available to any Internet user, but he applies a unique interpretation. He is especially passionate over the issue of “peak oil,” the concern raised by scientists since the 1970s that the world will eventually run out of fossil fuel. While other experts debate this issue in measured tones, Ruppert doesn’t hold back at sounding an alarm. He portrays a future that resembles apocalyptic science fiction. Listening to his rapid flow of opinions, the viewer is likely to question some of the rhetoric as paranoid or deluded; and to sway back and forth on what to make of the extremism. Smith lets viewers form their own judgments...."

"It makes countless other political documentaries look like episodes of "Teletubbies". Unnervingly persuavive much of the time, and merely riveting when it's not!"
VARIETY

"Buzz film 'Collapse' showcases a gripping pundit."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"I for one left the theater shaken."
THE ONION/AV CLUB

"Less wake-up call than four-alarm fire."
VARIETY

"You can’t take your eyes off him...riveting."
TIME OUT NEW YORK

"Collapse jolted and melted me down like no documentary has in a long, long while. "
HOLLYWOOD-ELSEWHERE

"It’s hard to imagine a better documentary being released this year."
MARTINI BOYS

"Ruppert lays out a compelling, convincing, and terrifying argument"
HAMMER TO NAIL

"Compelling."
NEW YORK TIMES

"Michael Moore may have come into this year’s Toronto International Film Festival with the most high-profile documentary about the current economic crisis, but it’s the less well-known non-fiction filmmaker Chris Smith who brought the best film on the subject to town. "
METRO CANADA

"Excellent and Important. Leaves you breathless."
MOVIE CITY NEWS / THE HOT BLOG

"Michael Moore has grabbed headlines for his take on 2008's financial market meltdown...but perhaps a more ominous picture of a world in crises is painted by 'Collapse' director Chris Smith. "
NEW YORK TIMES / REUTERS

"After watching Chris Smith’s latest documentary, Collapse, there is no going back: once seen its nearly impossible to forget. " 4.5/5 Stars
ROW THREE

"Collapse...will be a contender for major kudos whatever year it gets submitted to Oscar."
IONCINEMA

"Chris Smith’s lucid, compelling portrait."
INDIEWIRE