Priceless

Steve Cowan's Priceless (aka Pricele$$) takes a hard look at corporate lobbyists and influence-peddling in Washington D.C., where powerful monied interests (often through bogus political-action groups used as fronts) routinely pour millions of dollars into politicians' coffers (money that is necessary these days to finance any successful election campaign). Drawing on two examples—why healthier organic farming hasn't been widely adopted; and why fossil fuels and Big Oil maintain a stranglehold on America, when even the military branches are begging for energy independence—this damning exposé reveals the hows and whys of bought-off legislators who invariably support the business aims of their mega-industrial donors (cue Rep. Don Young of Alaska, looking quite buffoonish in a montage of global-warming deniers). Although the DVD cover copy calls this "nonpartisan," viewers will surely notice that Democrats (who are traditionally the recipients of generous labor-union contributions) are shown as the mavericks or penitents deploring this system, while Republicans come across as smug, bloated hogs at the Big Money troughs. And Barack Obama is still presented in this 2011 production as "hope" personified. Despite that bias, however, nobody—maybe aside from Young and some others in Congress—would deny that a problem exists, one that makes a travesty out of the concept of democratic government. Instead of just venting, the film also points to potential solutions in Arizona and Maine, where local campaign-finance reforms were effectively tested—at least until the lobbyists and PACs stepped in. Also featuring a 25-minute condensed version on the disc, this disturbing documentary is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (C. Cassady)