The Take

In 2001, a group of unemployed auto-parts workers in a depressed suburb of Buenos Aires walked into their recently-shut factory, laid out sleeping mats, and refused to leave. Their protest was meant to spark a return to production in their dormant place of former employment, but in the process it ignited a controversial political debate on the disastrously ineffective economic policies of Argentine President Carlos Menem, who was in the midst of a re-election campaign (and whose chief financial backers included the owners of the factory), while also generating heated discussion on the effects of globalization. Director Avi Lewis and writer Naomi Klein's The Take provides a compelling examination of the state of casual corruption, careless leadership, and frequent foolishness exercised by Argentina's political leaders, judicial system, banking industry, and law enforcement officers on the periphery of the story, while centering on the indefatigable spirit of the strikers and the equally courageous support of their families, who watch from the sidelines with a genuine fear that arrest or government-sanctioned assault will befall their loved ones. Although technically a documentary, The Take unfolds like a genuine thriller in the Costa-Gavras vein, and viewers will easily become agitated and fearful as each development tilts the story in a dangerous new direction. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: this is also available with public performance rights from First Run/Icarus Films for $298 on either VHS or DVD.]Aud: C, P. [Note: DVD extras include a 28-minute “Fire the Director” making-of documentary, and the 17-minute short film “Gustavo Benedetto: Presente!” Bottom line: a solid extras package for an excellent documentary.] (P. Hall)