THE PRICE WE PAY (Harold Crooks). 95 minutes. Rating: NNN
Where to watch: iTunes
This exposé of corporate malfeasance in the form of tax avoidance is an eye-opener. Using interviews with economists and academics, The Price We Pay uncovers the way companies maximize profits by taking advantage of tax havens like the Cayman and Jersey islands. (And now Canada: I’m talking about you, Burger King.)
The film’s aim is noble: explain how tax havens work, why we should tax financial transactions (traders definitely do not support that) and more. There’s a ton of information here, and there’s no question that director Harold Crooks‘s arguments are convincing.
The problem is that, apart from the very smart talking heads, not much happens on the visual level except filler images of things like Occupy demos and gleaming corporate headquarters. You might as well be reading a book or an article.
You will, however, find a new hero in British MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee and gives those Google and Amazon guys bloody hell.
