Let's Make Money

Wagenhofer has done it again. This one is better than all of Michael Moore's films combined because it leaves the audience feeling informed, but not manipulated. The prevailing thought after seeing this film is "what can I do to make it better?" This documentary combines interviews with key people directly involved in strong-arming governments, hiding the owners of trusts whose money has damaged millions of lives, enslaved people in India and Africa and supported laws that allow financial institutions (in London, for example) to operate unregulated in order to maximize profits for a few as they they destroy the lives of many, with outstanding camera work and very clever use of visual and auditory iconography throughout. Just watch it!

Frankly, I wasn't too hot about Wagenhofer's previous documentary "We Feed The World", which dealt with the food industry. Now, he's tackling the much harder to "photograph" financial system, and he pins it right down. Wagenhofer documents some egregious examples of the global financial system going haywire, and he nails down the right cases. Those gargantuan, deserted Spanish golf course castles will stay in your mind. So will the sheer, pharaonean poverty of cotton pickers and granite maimers (for a better word) in Burkina Faso.

Film is always thick on emotion, thin on information. This documentary offers a few mental stepping stones. Tomorrow I'm going to look up some of the points mentioned in this film. That's about all you can ask from a good documentary.

Excellent documentary without any disturbing biases. Although not unravelling the question where the bank-money goes to, the used examples are diverse and relevant to the gap issue between the west and the 'emerging countries'.

I got to agree though this might be a movie hard to watch, as moderate knowledge of economic terms are needed in order to enjoy and keep up with the story. Also, the connections between the different scenes weren't obvious. Although it all had to do with money and investors, the link between them were vague and not chronological. This tended to be dragging down the movie: you could sense people were waiting for the final scene, as they couldn't figure out which one would be it.

I liked the way how globalisation as subject was captured by filming in all these locations, showing how it applies to all these people.

If you expect a serious documentary this film will greatly disappoint. The film is mainly composed of a series of out of context comments from different people and of how the western world exploits developing countries.

I have never seen a more populistic film than this one made after 1945. All it does is try to make people feel bad about the third world and announce the end of capitalism. Anybody with a basic understanding of economics will see through this 'documentary' and recognize the film's left wing agenda.

It's too bad. This film could have been good. With sticking to facts relevant to the banking system and thorough research and knowledge of the economic sector they could have made a great documentary. Instead, all they do is try to scare the 'small man' who doesn't know much about economics.

And come on, bashing capitalism in these times of recession is sooo original...

Let's make money is a very well made documentary which focuses on how money is made and distributed by investors, corporations and the rich elite through the global financial system.

I largely agree with the standpoints which are communicated in this movie, however I must admit that it biased towards the "liberal anti- globalisation" camp. It also tends to polarize between the poor, innocent and exploited developing world and the rich and greedy west. All in all this view of the world is probably correct, however reality is more complex and the movie does not mention any specifics in this regard.

Nonetheless, very interesting and very enlightening. Definitively worth watching.