Published: Friday, October 2, 2009
Michael Moore states his case vs. ‘Capitalism’
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Associated Press / Overture Films
Filmmaker Michael Moore (right) talks to a police officer outside Goldman Sachs headquarters in Manhattan in Moore’s new documentary “Capitalism: A Love Story.”
The title suggests the size and the attitude of Michael Moore’s new opus. “Capitalism: A Love Story” casts the widest net yet of Moore’s documentary projects.
The economic meltdown of 2008 would seem to have prepared the way for a treatise on the subject of capitalism, and (say what you will about him) Moore always has a nose for the big story of the moment.
But although “Capitalism” includes the elites who made off with billions while wrecking the economy, Moore has even bigger fish to deep-fry. He wants to question the idea of capitalism itself. And then get rid of it.
The format is the usual Moore smorgasbord. Cheeky jokes, manipulative music, wacky vintage social-issue movies, some tear-jerking tales about real people getting screwed over by the system. And of course Michael Moore’s signature shtick of trying to get into buildings he’s not welcome in.
The latter routine is getting far too old to continue. Some of the other stuff still works, if only because Moore sometimes steps out of the spotlight and allows stories of real injustice and outrage to come forward.
These include a vignette about a widow shocked to learn that her husband’s corporate employer had taken out a life insurance policy on him (without their knowledge), thus collecting millions.
It’s a standard practice known as the “Dead Peasants” clause, although not many people know about it. Seeing its effects is a strong comment on the procedure.
Moore has a bigger narrative, along with the anecdotes. He illustrates it with his own story: how he was a kid in Michigan in the 1950s, the son of a hard-working and respectably paid General Motors employee.
That comfortable life is contrasted with the wasteland Moore finds in today’s Flint and Detroit.
His archvillain in this devolution story line is Ronald Reagan, who envisioned a shining city on a hill through deregulation, weaker unions and lower taxes for the wealthy.
Moore’s brush paints a skeptical picture of the current administration as well, as he numbers off the many financial insiders (some of whom were at the helm during the deregulated free-for-all that preceded the collapse) who now have jobs in the Obama administration.
The result — does this qualify as a spoiler? — is that Moore rejects capitalism entirely. His church choir for this is almost literally that: a group of Catholic priests from Michigan who assert that capitalism is morally wrong.
Moore will probably be called a socialist and quite possibly (given the current fad for mixing completely contradictory ideologies willy-nilly) a fascist, and maybe an antidisestablishmentarian.
“Capitalism” will stir up the usual outrage, and play well to his fans, but its overall shapelessness and reliance on old tricks suggests that he’s in a better groove when his sites are set on a single, limited target.
“Capitalism: A Love Story” ½
Michael Moore takes aim at a broad subject, thus demonstrating that his shtick works better when he’s focused on a smaller target. Some of the tales of individuals screwed over by the system are effective and Moore has some dirt on government high-ups who were at the helm during the economic meltdown. His routine of trying to enter buildings he’s not welcome in is getting tired, however.
Rated: R for language
Showing: Alderwood Mall, Everett, Neptune, Pacific Place, Thornton Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall
The economic meltdown of 2008 would seem to have prepared the way for a treatise on the subject of capitalism, and (say what you will about him) Moore always has a nose for the big story of the moment.
But although “Capitalism” includes the elites who made off with billions while wrecking the economy, Moore has even bigger fish to deep-fry. He wants to question the idea of capitalism itself. And then get rid of it.
The format is the usual Moore smorgasbord. Cheeky jokes, manipulative music, wacky vintage social-issue movies, some tear-jerking tales about real people getting screwed over by the system. And of course Michael Moore’s signature shtick of trying to get into buildings he’s not welcome in.
The latter routine is getting far too old to continue. Some of the other stuff still works, if only because Moore sometimes steps out of the spotlight and allows stories of real injustice and outrage to come forward.
These include a vignette about a widow shocked to learn that her husband’s corporate employer had taken out a life insurance policy on him (without their knowledge), thus collecting millions.
It’s a standard practice known as the “Dead Peasants” clause, although not many people know about it. Seeing its effects is a strong comment on the procedure.
Moore has a bigger narrative, along with the anecdotes. He illustrates it with his own story: how he was a kid in Michigan in the 1950s, the son of a hard-working and respectably paid General Motors employee.
That comfortable life is contrasted with the wasteland Moore finds in today’s Flint and Detroit.
His archvillain in this devolution story line is Ronald Reagan, who envisioned a shining city on a hill through deregulation, weaker unions and lower taxes for the wealthy.
Moore’s brush paints a skeptical picture of the current administration as well, as he numbers off the many financial insiders (some of whom were at the helm during the deregulated free-for-all that preceded the collapse) who now have jobs in the Obama administration.
The result — does this qualify as a spoiler? — is that Moore rejects capitalism entirely. His church choir for this is almost literally that: a group of Catholic priests from Michigan who assert that capitalism is morally wrong.
Moore will probably be called a socialist and quite possibly (given the current fad for mixing completely contradictory ideologies willy-nilly) a fascist, and maybe an antidisestablishmentarian.
“Capitalism” will stir up the usual outrage, and play well to his fans, but its overall shapelessness and reliance on old tricks suggests that he’s in a better groove when his sites are set on a single, limited target.
“Capitalism: A Love Story” ½
Michael Moore takes aim at a broad subject, thus demonstrating that his shtick works better when he’s focused on a smaller target. Some of the tales of individuals screwed over by the system are effective and Moore has some dirt on government high-ups who were at the helm during the economic meltdown. His routine of trying to enter buildings he’s not welcome in is getting tired, however.
Rated: R for language
Showing: Alderwood Mall, Everett, Neptune, Pacific Place, Thornton Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall
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