The Yes Men - Now it`s getting personal

Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano are celebrated and feared as the activist duo Yes Men. Their actions are provocative, exposing, and usually highly media savvy. They have made corporate machinations public, pilloried lobby groups and governments, and have always tried to wake up the media and the people and inspire them to protest. But despite some successes and plenty of attention, after 15 years it seems that the Yes Men haven't really made a difference. So is it time to retire, to focus more on family, a relationship, or actual jobs? The two men are tempted to do just that - if it weren't for climate change and the international community's disastrous climate policies. The imminent climate summit would be perfect for a new action. But this time it has to be something particularly spectacular, which will finally shake up the responsible people of this world and make them rethink...

The Yes Men - Now it's getting personal is the perfect conclusion for the Yes Men trilogy, which already has two award-winning entries with The Yes Men (2003) and The Yes Men rule the world (2009). For the third installment, filmmaker Laura Nix followed the two protagonists for several years, not only observing some of their actions, but also getting a very honest look into the private lives of the two activists. This clearly distinguishes this film from its two predecessors, where the two actually completely hid behind their art figures and pseudonyms. Here, the viewer not only learns their real names, but also gets to know their families and learns what they do for a living in real life.

Now, this may sound like the film is merely a portrait of the two men, which should only be of limited interest to a wider audience. Far from it: by showing who is behind the Yes Men and the impact their involvement has on their personal lives, the importance of their actions is further emphasised. It becomes clear that there is much more to their appearance as Yes Men than slipping into second-hand suits and posing as government officials or representatives of large corporations.

Besides the very private glimpses, climate change is the second major theme of the film. The facts the viewer learns here about the impending - or already occurring - changes and about the inaction of politicians and industry are actually extremely frustrating and disheartening. It is the great strength of this documentary that it manages to be informative on the one hand, entertaining and amusing on the other. The end result is a film that shows how important everyone's commitment is, even when you feel like you're tilting at windmills. A funny, charming, informative documentary that makes you angry, but in the end also spreads a little bit of hope in a really wonderful sequence. You just have to say YES to these men. Absolutely worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp