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Bill Clinton, Gustavo Cordera, Freddy Espinoza, Avi Lewis, Naomi Klein ... see more see more... , Carlos Menem , Lalo Paret

Carlos Menem was the president of Argentina between 1989 and 1999; under his administration, many of the nation's public works were privatized, and the nation's peso was linked to the value of the Ame... read more read more...rican dollar. When the nation quickly fell into debt, the International Monetary Fund stepped in to give the nation massive loans -- a tactic that only sent Argentina deeper into the hole, as the government struggled to pay the interest on their notes. The results were little short of disastrous, sending the economy into a tailspin and forcing much of Argentina's industry to shut down. In 2001, following the example of other out-of-work laborers, the former employees of an Argentinean auto plant walked into the abandoned factory where they once worked and announced their plans to take it over and run the business as a cooperative. The auto company's owners soon stepped in to claim what they said was theirs, while labor advocates argued that since the company had been floated by IMF-backed loans before it closed, the true ownership of the shop was an open question. The Take is a documentary by activist filmmakers Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein that chronicles the standoff between the displaced laborers occupying their former workplace and the private and public forces who united against them. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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83% liked it

1,299 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

30 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 24 min.

Directed by: Avi Lewis, Avi Klein

Release Date: November 4, 2004

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DVD Release Date: February 21, 2006

Stats: 100 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (100)

  • dhetteix
    July 19, 2009
    dhetteix
    Brilliant, if naturally one-sided. Though, deciding to come down hard on one side of the political fence when the other side is utterly monstrous, is something to be applauded. Especially considering America's utter neglect toward the hemisphere in which we honed our brutalizing ... read moretactics... this documentary brings to light an event that is nowhere close to the spotlight of the international media, yet utterly essential to understanding how we might rise above our current problems.
  • NathanSwink
    November 2, 2007
    NathanSwink
    Here is a story of the people. You think union histories are inspiring, look at what these workers did with an abandoned factory?

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas
April 14, 2005
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

The Take plays out like a Frank Capra movie with the 'little people' taking on corrupt and indifferent officials. In the process the film strikes a strong blow for the dignity of labor and introduces ... Full Review

Roger Ebert
February 18, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A success story? Yes, according to the Movement of Recovered Companies. No, according to the owners and the courts. Full Review

Jonathan Curiel
February 18, 2005
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle

A balance of fact and fury. Full Review

Ty Burr
February 4, 2005
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein's film is antiglobalist advocacy journalism of the most muddled and romanticized stripe, almost dangerously naive in its simplistic presentation of complex political events. Full Review

Chris Vognar
December 9, 2004
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Mr. Lewis and Ms. Klein found themselves a subject and a setting rife with drama, and they showed a reporter's dogged verve in entering the thick of the action. Full Review

Desson Thomson
December 3, 2004
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

It's not the most original documentary ever filmed, shot in routine style. But it's the content that counts. We see very real people in crisis. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
December 3, 2004
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

It never smirks or condescends as does, say, a Michael Moore; it never seems smug and superior, only committed and compassionate. Full Review

Stephen Holden
November 13, 2004
Stephen Holden, New York Times

A stirring, idealistic documentary that examines the grass-roots cooperative movement in financially devastated Argentina. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
November 13, 2004
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Feels considerably less like a charged piece of documentary filmmaking than a long-form current affairs special. Full Review

Frank Scheck
November 12, 2004
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Detailing the workers' efforts with a skill and urgency that suggests that the subject matter could well provide the basis for a fictional treatment, the filmmakers turn what could have been dry subje...

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