Freakonomics (2010): A collection of documentaries that explores the hidden side of human nature through the use of the science of economics. (6.3)
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon, Rachel Grady, Eugene Jarecki, Morgan Spurlock
Writers: Steven Levitt (book), Stephen Dubner (book)
Stars: Steven Levitt, Stephen Dubner
Every time economists try to present their craft as an exact science, I'm reminded of this by John Kenneth Galbraith: "Economics is extremely useful as a form of employment for economists." Sure, these two guys bring a new perspective to looking at every-day supply-and-demand kind of things, but can you quantify every single human behavior based on economics? (They themselves proved it wrong with that little story about potty training with M&Ms.) The movie, however, is kind of a jumble of mess because it is a collection of mini documentaries rather than a single coherent narrative. Yes, each one is interesting, somewhat, but for a feature-length movie? The sumo-wrestling segment is an interesting human story. The last one about paying kids to succeed in school is just boring and annoying. My Rating: 6.0
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