No film could convey all the complexities of the case -- what Crude does is air the plaintiffs' claims and show the lawyers at work.
Comment
09/25/09
Crude (2009)
96
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:45
Fresh:43
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Dynamic, tightly arranged, and deliberately provocative, Joe Berlinger's Crude is a sobering, enraging wake-up call.
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release:Sep 9, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: Director Joe Berlinger continues in the tradition of his justice-driven films BROTHER’S KEEPER and PARADISE LOST with this documentary. CRUDE travels to South America, where it investigates the... [More]
Director: Joe Berlinger
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Reviews for Crude
Top CriticAs the film very eloquently implies, when the greater good is defined as profits, and a lack of culpability is proportionate to your number of shareholders, well . . . a lot of petroleum-soaked chickens will be coming home to roost.
12/02/09
Top CriticBerlinger provides a bracing and intelligent look at how such battles are (and perhaps must be) fought in a world that's hardly lacking when it comes to tales of injustice.
10/09/09
Top CriticBerlinger gives a good amount of time to the big oil representatives, but it's clear that he's on the side of the people. Aside from that, Crude is a fine work of journalism.
09/10/09
while Berlinger allows the film to get a little too star-struck, spending less time with the winningly humble patchwork alliance doing the lawsuit's hard work, Crude at least acknowledges the reason behind this shift
09/08/09
It will certainly remain in your mind the next time you stop for gas.
10/09/09
Keeps a tight focus on a sprawling topic, condensing three years of production into a narrative that neatly lays out the history of the controversy, the opposing viewpoints and key players
09/09/09
Looking for another reason to leave your car at home? Go see Crude.
10/09/09
A dynamic and dramatic documentary about the David vs. Goliath dimensions of the "Amazon Chernobyl" case where indigenous tribal groups are fighting the multinational corporation Chevron.
09/11/09
At first Crude looks like one more environmental agit-doc intended to outrage and inspire. Director Joe Berlinger is no doctrinaire hack, though.
11/05/09
Top CriticThis isn't just a story of right and wrong, it's a story of money and media and, most of all, spin.
10/12/09
...a better balance of the human element against that of politics and courtrooms would have given the film a stronger emotional hook.
10/12/09
...good documentary filmmaking and an interesting, thought-provoking, subject.
10/17/09
Crude is both a tribute to human-rights tenacity and a sobering account of the multinational-Moloch greed that can keep justice in limbo.
09/08/09
A gripping, multifaceted thriller about media politics, global economics, and legal infighting. Wherever your sympathies fall, this may teach you a lot about the way the modern world works.
12/03/09
Top CriticBerlinger doesn't counter Chevron's counter charges with facts and figures. With footage of petrochemical-sludge swamps and babies covered with flaming sores, he doesn't especially need to.
09/07/09
Top CriticIt's impossible to watch this film and not come away with a personal vow never to patronize the Chevron corporation again.
09/04/09
Joe Berlinger's remarkable documentary, Crude, recounts an infuriating litany of South American exploitation, backroom glad-handing, and bureaucratic dead ends.
09/08/09
Top CriticIt's a David-and-Goliath tale, full of anger and disturbing accusation, but it's also inspiring.
10/14/09
Top CriticA good cause does not necessarily a fully satisfying movie make.
08/28/09
Latest News for Crude
September 10, 2009:
Critics Consensus: 9 Looks Great, But The Plot's Weak
This week at the movies, we've got post-apocalyptic conflict (9, with voice work by Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly); Antarctic intrigue (Whiteout, starring Kate Beckinsale... More...
August 11, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review 
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