Once upon a time, Oliver Stone was a superb director, expertly balancing compelling stories and politics, but eventually he would just be more interested in making a point more than anything else. Ironically, I thought maybe that same quality would make him a good documentarian, like Spike Lee, but "South of the
Border" proves that maybe alas it is not meant to be. And that's not only because of his droning narration.
In trying to explore the recent rise of progressive leadership in South America, Stone nobly seeks to reverse the perceptions that they are all repressive dictators, forgetting for a second that Fox News has long been a joke.(Okay, admittedly, there is that episode of "The Good Wife" and being photographed with the President of Iran is not going to win you any fans.) Even with access to the presidents, he frames the debates not on the countries' terms of success, but only in relation to the United States, which are very favorable when compared to the failed promise of the Obama Administration. And I like the Ecuadorian president suggesting that he would allow American bases in his country if they allow an Ecuadorian military base in Miami. Stone would have been better off if he had not relied so much on second hand sources and gone straight to the person on the street. You can do better by seeking out superior documentaries, especially the excellent "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" which focused on the failed 2002 coup attempt in Venezuela, proving that sometimes the good guys win.
September 24, 2011
Top Critic
