Reviews

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  ★★★½ review by Steven Sheehan on Letterboxd

  One of the most successful elements of Rachel Boynton's focus on the extraction of Africa's bountiful natural resources is being able to get to the simple heart of the matter. There is some big money being discussed here and crucial issues that could challenge the disproportionate financial balance in countries like Nigeria and Ghana. Behind it all as usual are men, deeply flawed men, whose greed seems to be the key motivation.

  Boynton appears to have unlimited access to both parties involved in brokering a unique deal, one being American oil company Kosmos and the other the Ghanaian government. Oil had never been taken from the country by a foreign company before and Kosmos appeared to be offered quite favourable terms. Everything seemed to be in place before a new President took power in Ghana apparently bringing with him the will of the people.

  That will would be to share the benefits of selling the oil with the people of the country, investing it into infrastructure, education and healthcare. Corruption in Nigeria and Ghana has created a culture where the everyday person has zero belief in the politicians to help them, every man out for themselves to make money. Raw capitalism from the streets right up to the Presidential residence it seems.

  There are no clear cut villains of the piece to be found in this murky deal making process. Boynton doesn't try to find them either letting the facts and words of the people involved speak for themselves. This is filmed over a 2-3 year period from the initial courting stage through to allegations of corruption and tension between both sides. No graphics or diversions are used to illustrate what is happening, Boynton relying on the honesty captured through her camera.

  As we are told, gold has already been shipped out of the country for minimal return and the fear is that oil will follow a similar path. The documentary asks the fundamental question of whether greed is a natural part of our psyche and where its boundaries lay, if at all. We just have to hope the answer for Africa doesn't arrive too late as more and more companies arrive to tap into its resources.

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  ★★★½ review by Juan Bacaro on Letterboxd

  Disfruté en la 5ta edición del Green Film Fest de BsAs de esta película que tenía hace rato en mi watchlist y cuya producción ejecutiva está a cargo de Brad Pitt.

  El documental registra los dimes y diretes (acaecidos entre 2007 y 2011) de una pequeña empresa estadounidense llamada Kosmos Energy, luego de haber descubierto el primer campo petrolero en el mar de Ghana.

  La tensión dramática se aporta desde distintos flancos, e involucra a dos gobiernos de Ghana: el que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Kosmos para permitirle –negoción de por medio- ser la primera empresa en explotar esta colosal mina de oro; y al nuevo gobierno, opositor, que al triunfar en las elecciones desea cambiar las reglas –a favor, obvio-.

  Por instantes, el documental parece servir de escudo moral a esta pequeña empresa, Kosmos. En todo caso, la obra es una indudable voz que evidencia, una vez más, la codicia del ser humano y de como un recurso no renovable, que supone ser una bendición, puede en un pestañeo terminar convirtiéndose en una maldición catastrófica. Indignante además una vez que se conoce el grado de pobreza en dicha región.

  A la pesadilla se añaden anécdotas del mercado negro entre pobladores, los macabros cálculos desde Wall Street y una gama de personajitos muy buitres. Más toda la escalada de sucesos conflictivos que derivan. Porque si hay algo que deriva del petróleo es eso, conflicto.

  Se suman al drama pandillas subversivas (desde el Delta del Níger) que, armados hasta los dientes, se encargan de sabotear instalaciones con el llamado 'bunkering', en un salvaje -y, según ellos, noble- reclamo para que el real beneficio llegue a los pueblos y no a corporaciones y gobiernos. Este es probablemente el momento de mayor adrenalina en todo el metraje.

  Todo esto es, en realidad, un poco más complejo. Pero, resumiendo, es el eterno cuento sombrío de petróleo, ambición, poder y enemistad. Más que un documental esto es un lúgubre thriller económico.

  Ya lo dijo John D. Rockefeller: "El mejor negocio del mundo es el petróleo bien administrado. El segundo mejor negocio del mundo es el petróleo mal administrado”.

  Website: bigmenthemovie.com

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  ★★★½ review by Zak on Letterboxd

  Everybody wants to become big and that is the prayer of everybody.

  There’s a great moment where the CEO of an oil company is talking to the president of Ghana about the delicate operation that they face in extracting oil in the African country and the CEO says “We have a tiger by the tail here” and the president replies “You must be a magician to be holding a tiger by the tail.” They both laugh, but it shows how despite speaking the same language, how what one person might think of as the most straightforward cultural reference can mean something ever so subtly different to someone else in a way that changes the meaning expressly.
  
  I think this was in such a hurry to show how Capitalism exploits the resources of developing countries, that it kind of sped through what happened. We see the seeds of a bamboozle and no effects. Kosmos Energy and the Ghanian government avoid any charges of corruption and make some money. But by the documentary's end it's still unclear if it will help the people of the country. Of course, the assumption is that it won't, but I'd say it's pretty important to show us how if that's the whole movie's thesis. The first 2/3 or so is fascinating, though.

  2018 #52FilmsByWomen

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  ★★★★ review by omalleyguit on Letterboxd

  La raison d'être des nations n'est-elle pas de pourvoir et veiller au bien-être de ses citoyens, tout manquement à ce devoir entrainant fatalement chaos social et civil.

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  ★★★½ review by MooseMeister on Letterboxd

  Nothing too surprising or new, but the filmmaker gets all her info directly from the people involved, she travels, investigates and talks (instead using the internet from the coach in your flat, like me for example). Also the extended time frame during which the evolving project is considered is very much appreciated (I feared after two minutes or so that the movie will be several dated, when a voice-over reported announced that oil price has reached 94 dollars per barrel.

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