Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Blucher One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Konterr Brilliant and touching

alvaro-ramirez Surplus ranks among some of the best interrogative documentaries of all times. It is a great symphony, not of a city, but of the complex web of relations facing the planet in the new century. It is a satirical film but also an urgent call to reflect on our shopping habits, and the way contemporary society is shaping us, not so much as citizens but as consumers. Fast paced at times, humorous and innovative the films feels like a modern symphony of images and sounds that flow in different rhythmic beats contrasting nations, social conditions, habits and ways of being. It shows the powerless and the powerful and mocks chiefs of state who dance to the sound of the big corporations that financed their campaigns in order to be get them elected.

joon808 This is one of the best documentaries I have seen on this subject. The use of repetitive visuals is very effective in getting the message across because often times thats what it takes to get people to understand what is being said. The entire documentary is done in a stylish and artistic way that draws the viewer to watch and listen more closely. Some may argue that this is another lame propaganda film but I would argue against that because what this documentary shows is the insanity that we have created for ourselves, and the realization of where the world is headed unless we stop to think about what we are doing to ourselves as a society and as a planet. For those who say that this documentary was more flash than message, I can only say that only a person without any forward vision would say something like that. I applaud Erik Gandini for his avant garde style and if in the future I choose to make my own film, I will seek any advice he has to offer me.

jfahlman Yet another in a new tradition of categorizing propaganda films as "documentaries" even though they blatantly turn a blind eye to any document or details that disprove their intended message. This film avoids any and all intelligent comments on the subject of consumerism and relies solely on leveraging emotional hot buttons. It is neither factual nor accurate, but what is far worse is that it pretends to be.With a running time of just under an hour, this could easily have been a fifteen minute film if all the repetition were removed. Repetition is one of the foundational tools of brainwashing, which makes this film all the more damaging. Hand selected and trimmed pieces of second hand footage are looped over and over to try and force the viewer into a trance so that direct access to the mind without having to bother working through the intellect can be achieved.Film makers such as this need to realize that if their point cannot be made in a straightforward and concise manner, without stealth and duplicity, then perhaps their point of view is not valid in the first place. It is hard to accept a message of "let's destroy society and return to the days of the cave man" when it is recorded and delivered on through one of the most technologically advanced mediums ever known on earth. It is important to note that I am not putting words into anybody's mouth here, the film makers repeatedly advocate the destruction of all technology so that mankind may return to the simplicity and hedonism of the cave man eras. Somehow a the destruction of property is not a form of violence and at the same time a return to savagery is also a non-violent plan of action.Avoid this film like the plague.

intnsred A very unusual documentary about consumerism. I preferstatistics-filled, dry, just-throw-the-facts-at-me types ofdocumentaries. I find most of Michael Moore's humor distracting to hismain points, for example. This film uses a variety of techniques toappeal to emotions. For instance, it uses a sometimes annoying, sometimes surprisinglyeffective tactic of repeating sound bites. The footage ranges fromprotests to interviews. Footage includes a Cuban teen's reactions tovisiting McDonalds, to European homeless people, to Microsoft's SteveBallmer dancing around screaming to motivate Windows programmers at aconference. It's truly unusual, but despite my preference for "drier"more fact-oriented documentaries, I found this unusual emotion-appealfilm quite enjoyable and effective. That surprised me; perhaps it willyou too?