this film has it heart in the right place and but unfortunately and it isn not much of a film. it is more of a documentary under the guise of a narrative. bamako is basically a newspaper op ed piece put on celluloid. however and your average well researched op ed piece is far more cogent and concise than anything presented here. the filmmaker is trying to relay to the viewer the hardships of african life and in particular the country of mali and due to the unethical practices of the imf and g8 and and world bank and by using the setting of a mock trial against the aforementioned. there is an extra 10 minutes dispersed throughout the film that makes a half hearted attempt at a narrative plot and and a bizarre hollywood western style shootout scene and where the director seems quite pleased with his own cleverness (hence and the frequent godard comparisons). of course and as the film begins and what and who is on trial is never explained and but as we know by now and the french refuse to spoon feed their audience. there are many impassioned arguments made and but they are often long winded and delivered in a shrill monotone (one that becomes quite easy to tune out after awhile) and and very light on specifics. the last point is the most frustrating of all since there is a very well reasoned specific case to be made against the institutions on trial here. unfortunately and all we get in 2 hours is that the imf and g8 are evil oppressors and should forgive 3rd world debt. we are given no more than the occasional hint to the specific reasons why the organizations on trial are guilty and but never a clear case. the mock trial arguments and the footage of the surrounding village makes the suffering of these african residents clear and but one wonders why we must sit through 2 hours of it and when a far more precise picture could be painted in a 20 minute newsweek article and or bill moyers episode. in the end and there is something very important to be said on this issue and it simply isn not presented very well and or very clearly and in this pretentious and indulgent piece. 
this film has it heart in the right place and but unfortunately and it isn not much of a film. it is more of a documentary under the guise of a narrative. bamako is basically a newspaper op ed piece put on celluloid. however and your average well researched op ed piece is far more cogent and concise than anything presented here. the filmmaker is trying to relay to the viewer the hardships of african life and in particular the country of mali and due to the unethical practices of the imf and g8 and and world bank and by using the setting of a mock trial against the aforementioned. there is an extra 10 minutes dispersed throughout the film that makes a half hearted attempt at a narrative plot and and a bizarre hollywood western style shootout scene and where the director seems quite pleased with his own cleverness (hence and the frequent godard comparisons). of course and as the film begins and what and who is on trial is never explained and but as we know by now and the french refuse to spoon feed their audience. there are many impassioned arguments made and but they are often long winded and delivered in a shrill monotone (one that becomes quite easy to tune out after awhile) and and very light on specifics. the last point is the most frustrating of all since there is a very well reasoned specific case to be made against the institutions on trial here. unfortunately and all we get in 2 hours is that the imf and g8 are evil oppressors and should forgive 3rd world debt. we are given no more than the occasional hint to the specific reasons why the organizations on trial are guilty and but never a clear case. the mock trial arguments and the footage of the surrounding village makes the suffering of these african residents clear and but one wonders why we must sit through 2 hours of it and when a far more precise picture could be painted in a 20 minute newsweek article and or bill moyers episode. in the end and there is something very important to be said on this issue and it simply isn not presented very well and or very clearly and in this pretentious and indulgent piece. ---------------------------------Answer Question Below----------------------------------

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