Freakonomics (2010)

I think when you write stand-up, something you use is what I call 'relative logic', when someone is telling you something that makes enough sense for you not to question it. I'm trying to think of a universally memorable stand-up bit. Like when Bill Hicks is talking about tripping on mushrooms while driving and he sees the police officers in his wing mirror - 'How's small are Yoouuu!?'-it's believable but not likely to be true but it illustrates his point about organic drugs not being a serious threat to society and they just make you look and feel silly.
This is what Freakonomics is to me. On the surface, to me - this was 90mins of pseudo-economics of entertaining bullshit. Don't take that the wrong way. It's very provocative asking obtuse questions about society and the way it conducts it's self. Freakonomics was/is a wildly popular book written by 2 Stephens - academic economist Levitt and writer Dubner and by the law of Hollywood is when you make a popular cultural property, they have to make a movie out of it. Even if it's a non-fiction pop-economics. But in a genius move that communicates the non-connected episodic style of the book- the producers decided to asks some of the most prolific documentary makers of recent times to make 15-20min segments based on hypothesis from the book. We talking Morgan Spurlock, Alex Gibney and Andrew Jarecki and the whole thing is 'compare'd' by footage of Levitt and Dubner made by Seth Morris. This is like the documentary makers equivalent of The Traveling Wilberys. Gibney is Dylan. 
I'm cool to the idea of people explaining economics this way because i worry that people will try to find answers in something like the topic of for example 'how your name will affect your life' instead of a provocative thesis on cultural relations and race, but all these segments work really well and are eminently entertaining. From the comedic style of Spurlock to the intensity of the Gibney piece on corruption in Sumo, it keeps the film refreshed and lively. The 2 Stevenage pop up in each one and they are both the best people to explain these concepts, especially Levitt becuase he's makes it simple not watered down.

I watched Freakonomics (2010), on DVD via LoveFilm.
My 2011 in Movies will return with Read My Lips (2001)...