Jeff is a regular working professional, working hard to advance his career and always looking for better opportunities and a better lifestyle. During one of his meetings with his friend, Morton, the idea of migrating to Australia takes root in his mind. Morton sells him the excellent prospects Australia offers, that will allow Jeff to spend the rest of his life in comfort and rolling in the dough. He invites Jeff to join him in his chain of Bakeries, that is sure to do very well. Sold on this idea, Jeff decides to clear out his bank accounts and gather the money needed for the move. Meanwhile, Frank, another friend, introduces him to Mr Muller from Marinin Resources Inc., a commodity trading firm. Mr Muller convinces Jeff to invest in the metal options market and multiply his investment, multifold, with minimal risk. Eager to grow his assets before his move to Australia, Jeff invests all his money in Marinin Resources Inc… But, when the markets do not behave as expected, Jeff ends up losing his money.
‘The radicalization of Jeff Boyd’ is a narrative feature from Director Uwe Schwarzwalder. As the title cites, the story is about how Jeff, the regular everyday foot soldier of capitalism, undergoes a total change in his ideology. He starts working towards dismantling the system that has been unfair, greedy, predatory and unthankful to the millions like him who have spent their entire lives propping up the system. Uwe moves the story forward at a slow but steady pace throughout, making the viewing experience relaxed and unhurried but never slacking or sluggish. The beautiful camera work that gives us symmetry, form and balance in architecture, landscapes and scene compositions add to the experience of viewing a visual masterpiece at one’s own pace. ‘The radicalization of Jeff Boyd’ also benefits tremendously from the performances that bring the characters to life, with all their subtleties and flaws intact.
‘The radicalization of Jeff Boyd’ is a postmortem of human greed and the propensity of society to exploit this vulnerability. When disillusionment and helplessness against the system incite a man to think beyond himself, he finds the courage to question and not finding answers, sets forth on a battle to set the wrongs right. He soon finds himself surrounded by like-minded people, who join him in the fight for the greater good. But when the circumstances change, and things go back to the previous normal, now quite favourable to his needs, does the will to fight the system persist or does it lose steam?
