Inequality for All

Of course Robert Reich is mostly preaching to the choir but he also informs and entertains the viewer. Reich is not isolated theory or ivory tower. He served in the administrations of Ford and Carter and was Labor Secretary under Clinton from 1993 to 1997. For me what gives Reich credence is the economic expansion of the 90's- the sustained growth, stronger middle class, low unemployment, low inflation, lower poverty rate and budget surpluses (to name a few) of which Reich was a key driver in economic policy.

This is not a movie for dogmatic right-wingers who will find the facts, um, inconvenient to say the least. They can skip the movie but still write reviews just by calling Reich a bunch of names. For the rest of us, well most of us can see what's happening to the economy but Reich breaks it down in an easy entertaining manner. His story about the first time he met Bubba on a boat to England is pretty funny as well as his jokes about his height. (4'8")

Director Jacob Kornbluth utilizes a cross section of the economy to make his point. Rich investor, middle class upper and lower, and those living day to day and fighting off poverty. Can be a tad dry because this is all pretty much right in front of our collective noses if we care to look. But he needs to make the examples to make the documentary work.

Robert Reich yes might be diminutive in stature, but the knowledge, the energy, the passion, and the inspiration are all sky high.

A very interesting man who lives and fights for his convictions. For me made the documentary worthwhile.

Liked that Reich documented the many problems faced by the 99% in trying make a living in a country dominated by the compromising effects of big money and very rich people. Charts and graphs galore showed vividly the striking connections between lowered taxes and rich power..........the deception of jobs creator and trickle down phony baloney, neo-con babble..........big business offshore jobs and robots here eliminating American jobs.......the effects of the decline in unions, and much, much more serious proof of gross and purposeful social inequality encouraged by many in our gov't and businesses.

As background and qualifications, Reich detailed his genetic condition that led to his short stature, told us about his upbringing and education, and told more about his college and gov't jobs through the years. He is an engaging, friendly and yet very serious man without being pushy, and is stone serious about his mission for better equality. But, IMO, that will be a very difficult thing to achieve under current social conditions in America, and he will have to have better and more effective suggestions to his students and to viewers than to "go out and make a difference". How about every student in his class pledging to encourage, develop and uplift American workers when these students in writing to become influential managers and bosses in the quest for more equality? To bring more jobs back home? To not be a part of the inequality problem in all of society but a big part of its solution? Run for political office and do something better for America than just get rich taking PAC bribes? And, never, ever forget these hard days in America for the 99% that were caused by the 1%.

I consider this film to be Part I. There has to be more on specific solutions after the complaining and pointing fingers are worn out. Influentials have to actually do something specific and accountable to change and help this crisis beyond lip service. This film was a preamble of what must be done later.

I think Reich and Co. did a nice job of not being heavy handed while presenting some of the bleakest trends we're living through in 2013. Unlike a lot of doom and gloom docs, this vital information was presented with a human touch and actually offered some solutions towards a positive outcome.

There's some whimsy and self-deprecating humor throughout this film as well as Reich makes light of his own stature, but it's also very serious in how it pertains to his seemingly life-long struggle against bullies. And that, folks, is what the vast majority of Americans are up against: ideological bullies and wormtongues at Fox News; and a corporate-owned political system run by lobbyists. Reich presents some specific examples of wealth disparity and even gets a multi-millionaire to agree with his overall sentiment.

Super well done.

Inequality for All attempts to do for income inequality what An Inconvenient Truth did for the global warming/climate change debate. Immediately, if you agree with Reich's talking points about economics and who is exactly at fault for the economic downturn of recent years, you'll likely love Inequality for All and perhaps quote its statistical data in future debates. If you don't agree with Reich's points, you'll likely wind up hating the picture, dismissing it as biased, lefty-fodder and never think about it again. In other words, it's another typical political documentary in the regard that those who really need to see it and take things away from it probably won't.

That doesn't mean Reich's commentary on this particular issue should be casually dismissed and regarded as biased senselessness. Reich makes several great points in this documentary, and the film is worth seeing on the merits that he is a charismatic and very likable screen presence. The fact that Reich assumes a tone that is witty and informative without being too didactic and pompous already makes the film much more accomplished than An Inconvenient Truth. For starters, Reich's background is in economics. He has studied the field for many years and has worked under the Ford, Carter, and Clinton administrations, working as the Secretary of Labor under Clinton. To dismiss Reich's claims immediately as lefty-fodder or something along those lines is criminal just because he is at least more experienced than many people reviewing this film. I can't dismiss Reich's claims, nor can I back them up. I can simply try and view eye-to-eye with him before moving on.

Reich's film instantly feels like a PowerPoint presentation, with numerous infographs, charts, video clips, montages, etc appearing with Reich narrating and stating each piece of information's significance. This style makes for a basic, but very accessible film, which is what we need in the line of documentaries concerning politics and economics. They are topics that can get alienating and complex very easily, and Reich seems to be totally aware of that. What the man winds up doing, to combat the intimidating subjects, is offer a cleanly edited film, mixing in the aforementioned ingredients with bits of his lectures at Berkeley in order to create a very interesting and thoroughly entertaining film.

Probably his strongest takeaway point, even if, I feel, many of us already know this, is that a strong middle class is the key to a strong economy. One of his wealthy subjects is Nick Hanauer, a venture capitalist who makes the bold assertion that the rich do not create jobs or benefit the economy in a way that is as significant as what the middle class does. He sums this up nicely, commenting that while some people make in excess of $10 to $30 million dollars a year, paradoxically, they spend very little of it. Most of their money goes into investments or into a vault for their savings. The middle class, on the other hand, can only donate so much of their money to savings because many of them have outstanding bills that need be paid by a certain day. Hanauer also comments that America needs to forgo the failed concept of "trickle-down economics" in favor of "middle-out economics," which is the pro-business ideology to create a strong, viable middle class akin to that of the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. The question is how do we get there? Reich's other strong takeaway point is that the American "free market" isn't completely free in a large sense. For better or for worse, depending on what you believe, the government has regulated the market with countless organizations that either limit production, tell us how to produce something, and work in efforts to regulate business in a way that makes it meet certain requirements. For some, this will be old news but for others, like me, it provides a moment to truly think about. There truly is not such thing as a free-market; the only one that would exist would be under complete anarchy with no regulations whatsoever.

Director Jacob Kornbluth constantly makes an effort to show how baffling and simultaneously captivating Reich can be. At one point during Reich's presentation, he asks for an audience member's iPhone and questions to the masses where most of the proceeds from each purchase of an iPhone goes to. Many guess China and the United States, two countries directly involved in the solicitation and the manufacturing of said phone. It turns out 23% goes to Japan, 6% goes to the United States, roughly 3% goes back to China, something like 17% goes to Germany, and the remaining percent is scattered across the globe. The idea is that while iPhones are manufactured in one particular place (China), the parts for manufacturing just one phone come from all over the world, leaving many countries to share the profits unevenly.

While Inequality for All is a good lesson in economics, the real treat is getting to know Reich, who stands tall at just four feet, eleven inches, loves his MINI Cooper car because it feels in proportion to himself, and always brings a small wooden box to stand on wherever he goes to speak. The guy is just nine miles past adorable, and, agree or disagree with his points in the film, he has enough charisma to brighten a room and enough intelligence that everyone can take away something he says by the end of the documentary.

Starring: Robert Reich. Directed by: Jacob Kornbluth.

I just caught this film at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival, and I'm glad I did, because the film was one of the most informative and, quite frankly, entertaining documentaries I've seen via the Festival, and most of the credit for that goes directly to the film's "star" Robert Reich.

Reich is a charming and personable individual who is obviously passionate about the sorry economic state of the middle class. He presents facts and reviews history (assisted through some terrific graphics) to make his case that a strong middle class is the bulwark upon which a thriving upper class must balance. Most importantly, this middle class is made weaker by the disparity in incomes and by a tax system that seems to reward "job creators" who don't really create a single damn job or, at best, create jobs overseas.

The issues are pretty damn complex, but Reich and Kornbluth do an excellent job of laying out their interpretations in a simple, forthright manner.

At the Q&A following the film, I asked Kornbluth and Reich if they felt any need to "balance" the film with alternate economic takes on the same facts. The film trots out the usual cartoonish Fox News critics, but I wondered if they thought about heading off the sure-to-come criticism that the film is too one-sided and doesn't present any intelligent alternate viewpoints. While Reich just shook his head "no" (one gets the impression he feels he isn't wrong so why bother,) Kornbluth responded that questions like mine ticked him off, as "there always doesn't have to be two sides to a story." He compared it to the issue of evolution and "intelligent design". Just as intelligent design's complete lack of factual basis has no business in a documentary about evolution, he felt the economic facts presented are facts and they were presented accurately in his film.

This film is a terrific pairing of a passionate filmmaker with a passionate advocate for the working class of this nation. Recommended viewing for anyone with a stake in our country's economic survival - regardless of political affiliation. That means everyone. That means you.

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