AngusDeaton haswonthis year'sNobel Prizeineconomics for a string oflandmarkfindingson the study of consumption, which have shaped policyandacademicstudiesacross theworld.
The film uses that man-ages-backward notion as a framework on which to hang a completely random string of dramatic incidents, everything from aWorld War II naval engagement to the finding of a foundling on the back stairs.