Yes Men Fix the World
Dirs: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno and Kurt Engfehr
Rating: 2.0/5.0
Shadow Distribution
86 Minutes
There is nothing worse than agreeing with a politically slanted film, yet shuddering at such a film's poor execution. The Yes Men (Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno) return for a second outing with Yes Men Fix the World, a chronicle of stunts and pranks the duo undertake in an attempt to not only out the wrongdoings of corporations such as Halliburton and Exxon, but also cost these companies millions in the process. Whether its impersonating the head of a chemical company on the BBC and promising reparations to the citizens in Bhopal, India injured in a pesticide plant explosion or fashioning candles to smell like burning human flesh and claiming to have found a new source of energy in front of a conference of industry higher-ups, the Yes Men make Michael Moore look like a thoughtless bull barreling towards the entrance of GM with their in-depth pranks.
Unfortunately, Michael Moore is a much better filmmaker. Yes Men Fix the World feels like little more than a vanity piece, and a shoddily developed one at that. Sure, these guys are trying to mete out justice to the fat cats who can fuck over millions for a profit, but why not have someone else make a film about the stunts? Otherwise, it just comes off as callow and self-congratulatory. Making matters worse is the pacing which elevates even the cheapest Discovery Channel shows appear Oscar-caliber in comparison.
So what about those who have different political leanings than the Yes Men? They probably won't make it past the 15 minute mark. While I did applaud some of the stunts, especially when the Yes Men try to market the ridiculous "SurvivaBall" body gear to Halliburton investors, Yes Men is most provocative when it reveals the depths a human being will sink to make a profit. The film uncovers the lies and the willingness for human casualty at profit that so many big corporations callously calculate each day.
The film ends with the Yes Men passing out a phony version of the New York Times which features progressive news such as big reforms and the end of the Iraq war. While it does give false hope to those momentarily duped by its content, the most important thing of all the film exposes is a nation ready for change. We can congratulate these guys for having the balls to try it. Too bad no one else was willing to document their exploits.
by David Harris
