Movie Review: Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
It's frighteningly effective, but is anyone listening?
Photo: Overture Films / Paramount Vantage
I was telling a friend the hardest thing about reviewing a Michael Moore documentary is that I agree with so much of what he says, if not everything. As a result I find myself nodding my head at all the right moments and throwing my hands up in disgust at equally affecting turns. Does this mean he's fashioned a film of quality or just one that appeals to my sensibilities? To me that's a hard question to answer, especially considering we are talking about serious societal issues when it comes to Moore's docs.
As far as Capitalism: A Love Story is concerned I look at it as a return to the likes of Roger and Me and Bowling for Columbine, and this is without a doubt in my mind the unofficial sequel to Roger and Me simply on a much grander scope. However, it's this grander scope that seems to have some people already looking at it as a bit disjointed, something I also attribute to the rushed production schedule as there are moments in this film that were filmed in June 2009 following the sad demise of an elderly farming family and their property. With the first screening of Capitalism being this past September in Venice that didn't leave Michael Moore much time for editing and tweaking. But he's put something together that works.
For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Capitalism: A Love Story" is a Overture Films / Paramount Vantage release, directed by Michael Moore and is rated R for some language.
However, where Capitalism gets it right is in watching Moore chase down folks in an attempt to learn what a "derivative" is along with other attempts to find out what exactly was the cause of the recent global economic meltdown. What happened? What does this mean? And perhaps the best question he asks one Wall Street bigwig, "Do you have any advice?" The answer: "Yeah, stop making movies." It's good for a quick laugh, but at the same time I think it speaks to the truth Moore is getting at and one these people are afraid of. It's almost as if Moore is becoming the Borat or Bruno of the documentary world, his face is so recognizable to this point the folks that would prefer to dodge his every question are wise to his shenanigans, and as this film details, he isn't having an easy go at getting face time with the names we want to hear from.
Outside of all of this, and something any reasonable person is going to come away from Capitalism: A Love Story with — if they look at it with an open mind and without an agenda to hate Michael Moore — is you are going to come away sad. Sad for where our country has ended up, especially based on where it once was.
The moment sure to have the largest impact on many audience members is an archived look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt reading off a list of what he referred to as his Second Bill of Rights. This bill was to guarantee everyone had a job with a living wage, the freedom from unfair competition and monopolies, a home, medical care, education and recreation. It's touching and for someone that wouldn't open his eyes for another 33 years, it's something unheard of. Is there any chance we get back to a world where human priorities become more important than financial priorities? I doubt it, but in the past few years my pessimism has grown by leaps and bounds.
Links from Other Sites You May Like
Showing 2 Comments
~ PLEASE NOTE ~
If, in any way, your comment is an attack on the author of this post or a previous commenter, your comment will be deleted without question.
Add a New Comment |
Click to Read Our Commenting Rules & Guidelines
Are you not giving lettered scores anymore brad?
I just saw this movie today and I didn't leave sad, I left angry.
It's the same anger I felt when the bailouts were passed in Congress. The same anger I feel at people spending their money frivolously as though they are not going to be held accountable in the future. The same anger I feel at corporations who will exploit anything (even by taking insurance policies called Dead Peasant's insurance on their employees).
Michael Moore has just hit the tip of the iceberg. I was disappointed sometimes when he tried to make you cry about these people's misfortunes (which I did), by not holding some of them accountable for their own frivolous spending and consumption (who needs a goddamn Double Whopper??). But, there are so many claims he makes that go so much deeper, which is why he says stuff like up 90% of the rich's income was taxed in the "good ol' days" when he was a kid. I, for one, am going to devote a little bit of my time to research how the Second Bill of Rights could be implemented and enforced.
This movie makes you almost lose faith in the government and certainly make you ask why do we have a wall street and why do we have a treasury department. It makes you want to devote your life to acquiring knowledge and becoming an activist so these people don't rob us again.
I think the fault also lies with us because we were asleep when the fox raided the henhouse, by watching crappy movies like Transformers 2 or sitting in front of the tv like comatose patients. We have become a dumber society because of entertainment and now I am certainly turned off to most of it because we have been fooled time and time again.