The Yes Men

Merry pranksters and advocates of economic parity and human rights, the "Yes Men"--Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno--have been responsible for such famous stunts as the Barbie doll-G.I. Joe voicebox switch in toy stores in 1993 and the campaign-parody website gwbush.com, which then-candidate George W. famously tried to have shut down because "there ought to be limits to freedom." Dan Ollman's hilarious, eye-opening documentary follows the pair's exploits posing as spokesmen for the World Trade Organization--speaking at economic conferences and making appearances on news programs--all the while pretending to espouse (and thereby expose) what they see as the WTO's goals: the exploitation of Third World labor to increase the profits of First World corporations. The funny thing is (or is it the scary thing?) their quarry rarely catches on despite outrageous statements and pranks that grow exponentially absurd. What makes The Yes Men amusingly spellbinding and downright astonishing is seeing how little scrutiny these guys receive from their targets--even newspapers (which carry pictures identifying them as WTO representatives) and serious TV talk shows (just how gullible is CNBC?). A great entry in the emerging advocate-documentary genre, The Yes Men demonstrates how one or two people really can make a difference. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by “The Yes Men” Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano, and filmmakers Chris Smith, Dan Ollman, and Sarah Price; four deleted scenes (6 min.); and trailers. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for a winning doc.] (R. Blackwelder)