Film Review: Valid Points Make ‘U.N. Me’ a Reasonable Exposé

Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 2, 2012 - 8:45am

CHICAGO – As a product of the post WWII era of global cooperation, the United Nations in New York City has arguably become a bloated and expensive paperweight, 67 years after its birth. Documentary filmmaker Ami Horowitz takes on this bloat with passion and some conspicuous points in “U.N. Me.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0

The pun of the title does imply the relationship that Horowitz exposes in the film. What purpose does the bureaucracy that has developed in the United Nations serve in a post-iron curtain, post 9/11 world? According to the filmmaker, not much. Valuable dollars are poured into the organization, and in return – according to the the film – there is duplicity, hypocrisy and disingenuous interactions with countries that the U.N. is supposedly giving either military or humanitarian aid.

Ami Horowitz is the Michael-Moorish guide to the proceedings, as he breaks down situations that has given the United Nations an ever-increasing black eye. There is the incident in the African nation of Côte d’Ivoire – when U.N. peacekeepers opened fire on demonstrators, the “oil for food” program in Iraq – where only Saddam Hussein reaped the benefits and the genocidal situations in Darfur and Rwanda – where the U.N. did little to intervene.

Through narrative, interviews and interaction within the United Nations building in New York City, Horowitz exposes these backward assignments that the organization has engineered, all in the name of their own existence. Also, in keeping with their charter that all nations have a seat at the table, there are incredible inconsistencies, such as Iran being part of the council on women’s rights. With billions of dollars per year being poured into the organization from the United States alone, there seems to be less and less return.

“U.N. Me” has a limited theatrical release and Video on Demand on June 1st. See local listings for theaters, show times and channel locations. Featuring Ami Horowitz, written and directed by Ami Horowitz and Matthew Groff. Rated “PG-13”