An All-Too-Human Federal Reserve - The New York Times If "Money for Nothing: Inside the Federal Reserve" seeks to demystify that organization, it doesn't really succeed. But the documentary, by Jim Bruce, does leave you with the impression that however the Fed does what it does, it is often just guessing or willfully acting against the best long-term interests of the economy. The film traces the history of the Fed and its actions during economic crises. Paul A. Volcker, the Fed chairman for much of the 1980s, comes off looking pretty good. Alan Greenspan, his successor, does not, and the film builds to the argument that the current chairman, Ben Bernanke, is leading us toward a new financial disaster by keeping interest rates low. Cheeky visuals - an atomic bomb exploding; a man being shot out of a cannon; endless images of Jenga blocks - help convey the view that the Fed is cavalier about acting in the public interest. But the film doesn't really live up to its subtitle. There is little sense of what kinds of debates take place at board meetings or how pressure is applied behind closed doors. And in trying to convince us that the Fed is powerful, Mr. Bruce perhaps makes it too powerful. Lots of forces go into shaping the economy. To paint it as a one-man show seems oversimplified. Directed by Jim Bruce. 1 hour 44 minutes; not rated.