The ending *SPOILER*


So did the G8 decide to do something about world poverty or not? The PM said, "...We HAD the opportunity..." and it sounded like he was disgusted that they didn't act.

So did they or not?

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Yes they "did" It's supouse they made the Millennium Development Goals

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I paid attention, as you did, to the "had" - past tense - in the PM's words ... I think it's meant to be ambiguous ... While this is a fiction, it's also set in a very nonfictional context and gauging by the latter, we know in fact that the G8 has never stopped compromising ... instead of opting for "sacrifices" by rich countries to help abolish poverty ... so it seems understandable the filmmaker would make it ambiguous, wanting to hold out hope but knowing his viewers have a basis for knowing that a full-conversion ending would fly in the face of global politics ... Perhaps we're meant to see that Lawrence was proud even to see that his own nation had at least (to his clear surprise) opted for a principled stance ... The looks on the faces around the G8 table as the Chancellor asked "is anybody with us?" did NOT look like anybody was going to change their minds any time soon - a bit polyanna to think they converted 7 nations after the camera cut away from that deliberation that we last saw looking like a 1-7 vote becoming 8-0 ... (Not sure if they have to have unanimous decisions at the G8) ...

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