As Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone's scabrous political correspondent, has often observed, one of the ways that Wall Street protects itself is by cloaking its activities in jargon so dense and dull that it's impenetrable to the average observer. In "Two Raging Grannies," a documentary by Norwegian director Havard Bustnes, two economic novices try to understand the complexities of the global financial system, and its obsession with growth.
The twist: They may be neophytes, but they're old enough to remember the Great Depression.
Shirley Morrison, a spry 90-year-old, is concerned for the future that her granddaughter will inherit. Her arthritic, acid-tongued 84-year-old pal, Hinda Kipnis, is more inclined to cynicism, lamenting the wanton consumerism that she sees around her. In an early scene, she loses her cool while surveying the toy aisle in a supermarket: "I can't stand looking at this stuff. It's garbage!"
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