The Panama Papers

The Panama Papers is an exposé of the financial underworld and named much like "The Pentagon Papers" exposé of 1971. It's a mostly interesting account of the lengths the super rich will go to hide their wealth - many times illegally acquired - from taxing authorities. And these are not your banana republic dictators but First World leaders, celebrities, and sports figures. However, the account dwells a lot on the investigative efforts of journalists worldwide and the risks to them, and though that's of some interest, it seems to be more the focus of the film. I wasn't quite satisfied with this approach, nor the way it concluded. Sure, many govt leaders were forced to resign but why not prosecuted/jailed? The film could've delved into that, too, but didn't.

Would benefit from clearer direction - is this primarily about the journalistic journey or what was revealed.? At no point does the documentary explore what PP tells us about illegal tax evasion (who does it, why) and currently legal tax avoidance.

I'm not sure we need to spend much time asking why illegal tax evasion is a bad thing. But equipping viewers to not just get angry but understand how legal tax shelters work, seems pretty important.

Whilst watching, I thought about the documentary "Inside Job" about the global financial crisis and what a great example that was of getting the inside scoop on the causes of the crisis. And, educating the viewer on complex financial mechanisms, sufficient to empower the viewer to understand this was no accident but gross recklessness and criminal behaviour.

I'm glad Panama Papers was made but I'm not sure it equips viewers to challenge their governments' complacency on this

If you don't know much about the controversy, this is a decent movie. If you do, you won't learn much new. The film is usually shot well, although the intentional camera movement in confessionals was jarring. Very much a "puff piece" for journalists that gets a bit heavy-handed at times. There are some really great parts with in-depth information... then there will be another random journo bragging about something they did (or their amazing colleagues), and nothing detailed involving the papers themselves. There are limited interviews with actual political figures, prosecutors, or tax experts. I'd be more interested in the people who programmed the system used to analyze the leaked data, or an expose on Mossack's history and clientele.

Beware of the highly positive professional critic reviews on this one, as the angle of this film is particularly palatable to your average professional film critic who works for a journalistic publication.

I applaude the documentarians for this excellent depiction of the investigative reporting of the John Doe whistleblower. I only wish it had more of an impact on the American political system and wallstreet billionares. Instrumental in understanding the wealth gap and its causes and ramifications on society.

I enjoyed "The Panama Papers," mainly for its focus on the investigative journalists worldwide who collaboratively, painstakingly researched the massive story. This documentary unravels the complex financial shenanigans secretly managed by a shadowy Panama law firm, but also explains to viewers why all this matters so much-in terms you can understand and put into context even if you know nothing about finance, tax laws or banking. I did sense the filmmakers' strong political agenda, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the film. It's educational and diverting.