​Review; Boom Bust Boom

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By Paul Fiander
Economics is no laughing matter, but when a little comedy is added to a description of how in 2008 financial markets around the world were crashed by idiots a little chuckle helps it become more palatable. Well I say “palatable” but once Terry Jones (yes he of Monty Python fame) finishes his look into the financial crisis I’m sure there will be a great deal of teeth gnashing going on.

I think we all know by now that in 2008 the bottom fell out of the Housing Market and thanks to some rather unscrupulous practices there were a lot of people who could not afford to keep living in their homes. This is no laughing matter and honestly this documentary does not look at the effects of the crisis instead it focuses on the causes in an entertaining and informative way. I personally enjoy Economics at a low level based on an A-Level in the subject but a lot of what is reported can be quite baffling but the genius of Boom Bust Boom is the way the information is delivered.
​From art that could have been taken directly from a Monty Python sketch to some rather cute puppets every scene makes you want to chuckle on one hand but hits you hard on the other. The constant stupidity and I mean that wholeheartedly of the reported figures behind our financial world baffles the mind.

As a piece of visual entertainment Jones is a very personable presenter his warm tones and fatherly style help to put you at ease. He is never confrontational but instead presents facts with a sense of authority that never ventures into smugness. Aiding him on his journey through the history of Financial turmoil (yes there has been more than one crash) are a veritable smorgasbord of Economic thinkers including John Cusack, Andy Haldane (Bank of England), Paul Krugman, Paul Mason among many more. These names may mean nothing to you, although yes John Cusack is the Gross Pointe Blank actor, but they do represent the real world of Economics and depart somewhat from the Neoclassical ideas that seem stupidly flawed.
​I will go out on a limb and say this is a great documentary to watch, yes it’s entertaining but the message of not repeating the mistakes of the past are ever present. The more we can learn the better and at least this way you can have a chuckle while learning about what can be a rather dry subject.
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