gridoon2024 Review of South of the Border

South of the Border (2009)

Interesting but slight documentary; should have been at least twice as long

[6/10 · 11 December 2010]

While "South Of The Border" is an undeniably interesting and occasionally even chilling documentary, especially when it chronicles the results of IMF's involvement in the internal affairs of most Latin American countries (having been kicked off by most of these countries, those glorified loan sharks are now starting to cast their spell over Europe, aided and abetted by the EU's current masochistic worship of "free markets" and disdain for the "social state"; if, as they say, History Repeats Itself, the next few years look especially bleak for all Europeans!), it is just too slight, and way too short, to have the impact that its subject deserves: 78 minutes are not nearly enough for an in-depth analysis of these phenomena. What's more, Oliver Stone spends more than half of those minutes of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, leaving far too little time to focus on the other figures he interviews: all of them get short-changed, but I would particularly like to see more of the two Argentinian leaders, Cristina Kirchner (who is one smart babe!) and her husband. Also welcome would have been more interviews with political scientists & professors, as well as simple-everyday people, in place of scenes whose only purpose is to show the leaders' simple-everyday side, such as Chavez riding a bike. Considering the time and effort that Stone invested into making this film, it ultimately comes across as a bit of a missed opportunity, though it's still worth watching. **1/2 out of 4.