As a film critic, you try to keep an open mind;  especially with subject matter that may not be of personal interest in the first place.  Those films have the opportunity to teach something new.  That said, economical documentaries are still my kryptonite – they’re still too dense to comprehend.  Jed Rothstein’s The China Hustle – a film about devious activity on Wall Street – is more proof of that, but it also surprised me.

Usually, a documentarian would put their blinders up and forge forward to the finish line.  But in the case of The China Hustle, Rothstein creates a relentless style that makes this doc a complete package.  It’s a calculated technique that corresponds to the “cool” appearance that some of the interviewees are very boastful about.  Rothstein also uses this strategy to compliment his film as an observational project.  As tensions builds, the audience is fascinated to watch people gloat about their bad and unethical behaviour – almost as if the subjects want to make more trouble for themselves.

While The China Hustle isn’t going to pull in a new audience, it’s still praiseworthy.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie