Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

BasicLogic I only got one thought when I watched this film: Suppose your family didn't have that 10 million dollars, or suppose you've only got 8 millions, could you still afford to continue the lawsuit against the American bureaucratic system? Or suppose you didn't have enough financial backbone and your pocket was not deep enough, did it mean that you guys would still have been jailed? So this also means that if don't have enough money to fight in the court, you would have to plead guilty in the end, the injustice would never be overturned? So even you've been exonerated and proved to be innocent, what's next?

ryanlaurencecole I want to be careful to ensure my opinion of the doc isn't just my opinion of the subject. I don't think the subjects of the doc are admirable or deserve to be felt sorry for. The doc however, does a good job of introducing the players and explaining each of their association with the bank and family who runs it. I found myself getting distracted by the numerous scenes showing the family talking over each other and communicating nothing. I wanted to know more about the the effect on the trial on the community instead. Although this isn't my favourite doc of the year, I certainly think it's worth a watch.

johnsonalg This film received a standing ovation at the Chicago International Film Festival. At the Q and A after the film the family was as genuine as in the movie. Not only is this a story about government picking on the small guy (small by banking standards) but also a nice movie about immigration and family values. The entire movie was shot while filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams) was unaware if the family or bank would be found innocent or guilty of mortgage fraud. Unfortunately the court proceedings are represented by paintings and live audio, but you still get the feeling of being in the courtroom. Even a couple of jurors are interviewed. Do not expect to sit on the edge of your seat with anxiety but a very interesting, thoughtful film

sfviewer123 Very well-done documentary about small (2,651st largest bank in the U.S. at the time) family bank in Chinatown New York prosecuted for financial crimes after 2008, has interviews with all the major players (bank employees/owners, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jurors, audio from witnesses, etc.)Absolutely head-scratching as to why the D.A. thought this was a good place to satisfy public outrage over the Great Recession (politics and racism are hinted at but not fully explored). (I do wish this angle has been pursued in more depth.)Basic plot: low-level employees are fleecing home buyers into giving them cash fees and then falsifying their loan applications so they get approved by higher-ups, the government decides this is evidence of a systematic conspiracy and tries to go after the bank itself (this despite it having an extremely low default rate, which makes it strange that Fannie Mae is named the defendant in the case because overall it got much more money from this bank proportionally than from thousands of others, particularly the giant ones who not only didn't get prosecuted but actually got bailouts (courtesy of you and me)).Also shows incredible scenes such as the bank employees shackled together in a chain gang and paraded into the courthouse in front of news cameras (which by all accounts is an unheard-of practice nowadays); the Manhattan D.A. (Cyrus Vance Jr.) and one of his underlings ("Polly Greenberg" iirc) are both masterful in denying any kind of prejudicial motivation in selecting and prosecuting Abacus (the case took five years and cost taxpayers ten million USD and resulted in *zero* convictions).Anyone need anymore evidence that giant corporations run this country? Anyone?