I really enjoyed their first film and book - a great analysis of consumer culture, mindless spending and why less can be better. But this new film was not all that different from the first one which made it a bit of a disappointment. This new movie covered the back-stories of Josh and Ryan which was done in the first film, but now done again in a more updated manner. it also covers the reasons for minimalism again addressed in the first movie. If you saw the first movie, you already knew all of this.
What it adds is new testimony from several people who adopted this lifestyle. They range from 17 to 67. However, there was not enough there to really get into why these people did it, how they did it and the outcome. It was too brief. The movie is not even a hour long so more could have been added. I would have liked to have heard more from the 67 year old baby boomer since that demographic would seem far less likely to embrace this kind of lifestyle change. That could have been a really fascinating part of the movie that built on the first film where the message was preached on a long road trip across the USA. Also, how many people adopted this philosophy but gave up on it? Some people like their stuff and its not clogging up their lives. That would have been interesting to see. I would have also like to hear Josh and Ryan talk about their homes far more. You see Ryan's but not much is said about it. How about interviews with both of their wives? They are both shown but say nothing? Are they onboard with the lifestyle.
The movie also has commentary by "experts". There is the anti-capitalist woman from Greenpeace who blames consumerism on capitalism. Not exactly true. Capitalism has been in this nation since before its founding and this consumer consumption mania is a far more recent trend - maybe about the last two generations only. What is the cause of this trend that some in recent generations need to find fulfillment in stuff rather than faith, relationships, family, pursuit of knowledge, work, etc? That was not addressed very well. The WWII generation and the early baby boomers were far less consumer oriented due to what they experienced growing up. They were frugal. So what changed in the country? It cannot just be attributed to advertising and capitalism. Something else is at work here that is driving it. They also have Dave Ramsey in several short segments where he is more focused on avoiding debt rather than promoting minimalism. Dave Ramsey is anything but a minimalist. I watch his show. He is great on personal finance advice. He also claims he owns $300 million in paid-for real estate, has a very successful multi-million dollar business, a numerous cars and collections, and multiple homes. So why pick him to talk to? They also mention that people buy things mainly to impress others. That is a big overgeneralization. Not everyone does that. People buy things because they enjoy them and are not trying to show off at all.
I was really hoping for a lot more in this new movie. But if it is your first view of the Minimalists, then it is all new. Hope the guys do another that really builds on this. They are good presenters. Also, this film made by Matt D'Avella shows that independent film makers can do work that rivals the corporate media. Very nicely filmed.
What it adds is new testimony from several people who adopted this lifestyle. They range from 17 to 67. However, there was not enough there to really get into why these people did it, how they did it and the outcome. It was too brief. The movie is not even a hour long so more could have been added. I would have liked to have heard more from the 67 year old baby boomer since that demographic would seem far less likely to embrace this kind of lifestyle change. That could have been a really fascinating part of the movie that built on the first film where the message was preached on a long road trip across the USA. Also, how many people adopted this philosophy but gave up on it? Some people like their stuff and its not clogging up their lives. That would have been interesting to see. I would have also like to hear Josh and Ryan talk about their homes far more. You see Ryan's but not much is said about it. How about interviews with both of their wives? They are both shown but say nothing? Are they onboard with the lifestyle.
The movie also has commentary by "experts". There is the anti-capitalist woman from Greenpeace who blames consumerism on capitalism. Not exactly true. Capitalism has been in this nation since before its founding and this consumer consumption mania is a far more recent trend - maybe about the last two generations only. What is the cause of this trend that some in recent generations need to find fulfillment in stuff rather than faith, relationships, family, pursuit of knowledge, work, etc? That was not addressed very well. The WWII generation and the early baby boomers were far less consumer oriented due to what they experienced growing up. They were frugal. So what changed in the country? It cannot just be attributed to advertising and capitalism. Something else is at work here that is driving it. They also have Dave Ramsey in several short segments where he is more focused on avoiding debt rather than promoting minimalism. Dave Ramsey is anything but a minimalist. I watch his show. He is great on personal finance advice. He also claims he owns $300 million in paid-for real estate, has a very successful multi-million dollar business, a numerous cars and collections, and multiple homes. So why pick him to talk to? They also mention that people buy things mainly to impress others. That is a big overgeneralization. Not everyone does that. People buy things because they enjoy them and are not trying to show off at all.
I was really hoping for a lot more in this new movie. But if it is your first view of the Minimalists, then it is all new. Hope the guys do another that really builds on this. They are good presenters. Also, this film made by Matt D'Avella shows that independent film makers can do work that rivals the corporate media. Very nicely filmed.