69
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Film ThreatPete Vonder HaarFilm ThreatPete Vonder HaarThe film's effectiveness is bolstered by juxtaposed scenes of fat and happy Americans and Europeans slurping up frozen chai lattes and clucking about how big Starbuck's is getting with scenes of children going into "therapeutic feeding centers" in the region where Starbuck's gets its coffee because they can't afford to by corn.
- 80VarietyRobert KoehlerVarietyRobert KoehlerThe Francises are aces behind the camera, displaying an elegant sense of composition that makes their subject visually ravishing. Andreas Kapsalis' gorgeous score lends doc a grand quality.
- 80Village VoiceVillage VoiceNo mere Western-guilt-inducing harangue, this highly informative documentary by British brothers Marc and Nick Francis is a model of patient storytelling.
- 70SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirBlack Gold is more an Al Gore-style message of hope than a total downer.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenOne of the most disquieting (and challenging) statistics is left for last: if Africa's share of world trade increased by only one percentage point, it would generate $70 billion a year, five times what the continent receives in aid. Who wouldn't want that?
- 63New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoA dry but enlightening documentary.
- 58Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill WhiteSeattle Post-IntelligencerBill WhiteThere are shocking facts and supportive images, but the film lacks investigative spirit.
- 50The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThere's been a proliferation of "globalization sucks" documentaries over the past couple of years, but few have been as blunt as Black Gold.
- 50New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanSome documentaries are so well-made they transcend the nature of their subjects. This is not one of them.