The "Michael Moore School of Grudges"
Documentarian Michael Moore never really got over Bush's "election" as President in 2000.
The director behind "Roger and Me" and "Bowling for Columbine" consistently used his political clout to denounce President Bush's appointment as President by constantly naming him the "President-in-Thief."
While Michael Moore constantly attacked Bush and his policies, everyone knew that he was only giving us a taste of his disgust over the Bush Administration when he launched his anti-war tirade at the Oscars last year when his movie, "Bowling for Columbine" won the "Best Documentary" award. Though certainly offending, Moore's public display of disapproval for Bush certainly wasn't the last we were going to hear of Bush out of Moore's mouth.
Instead of laying it all on the line at that particular moment, he decided to let his anger fester, and waited for just the right moment and right medium to release it.
And that moment is now, months away from the Presidential Election. And that medium is Moore's new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Almost since Bush took over the Oval Office in 2000, Moore has been collecting evidence slandering Bush, and taking advantage of the fact that our dear President isn't exactly the smartest of individuals. So, what do four years of film footage, government documents, interviews, and the disaster of 9/11, edited and put together by Moore in the humorous manner only he can provide, make? It makes, quite possibly, one of the greatest "pop-politics" movies ever made.
Yes, Moore isn't exactly the most likeable of individuals. He's abrasive, partisan, and at times, quite annoying, but, when placed in the same world we live in that's dominated by the bullshit broadcasted by right-wing media, he almost sounds like the lone voice of reason in a maelstrom of "conservative" and corporate nonsense. We desperately need his brand of exagerrative, liberal politics and filmmaking to counter the stuff pouring out at the opposite end of the political spectrum. You can't say his stuff is impartial, or even fair to his opponents, but god damnit, were his opponents fair to his allies? I don't think so.
With Moore's new movie leading the way, the battle between liberals and conservatives has actually become a war again, not a one-sided bashing being won by Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp. Empire.
If you're thinking this movie is like Bowling for Columbine, stop thinking that way. While I love BfC, from a movie-goer perspective, it did drag, particularly in the beginning. And Michael Moore did at times seem to be a bit too aggressive in trying to convey his point in that movie. But, in F 9/11, Moore takes a step back, gets off camera, and succeeds completely in making the documentary medium thoroughly interesting and gripping. And with events like 9/11 and the Iraqi War to draw from, Moore succeeds in creating tear-jerker moments. Bush, himself, is almost like the movie's constant punch-line, allowing the President to dig his own hole with well-edited clips of our main man in action. As I said, the movie isn't entirely fair, but, then again, neither is our news media, outside of the BBC.
So see it for yourself. Depending on your affection for our President, you'll either love it or hate it. Either way, it's going to reinforce the idea that we all should've learned from the last election.
We ALL need to vote. The stakes are too high for us not to.
The director behind "Roger and Me" and "Bowling for Columbine" consistently used his political clout to denounce President Bush's appointment as President by constantly naming him the "President-in-Thief."
While Michael Moore constantly attacked Bush and his policies, everyone knew that he was only giving us a taste of his disgust over the Bush Administration when he launched his anti-war tirade at the Oscars last year when his movie, "Bowling for Columbine" won the "Best Documentary" award. Though certainly offending, Moore's public display of disapproval for Bush certainly wasn't the last we were going to hear of Bush out of Moore's mouth.
Instead of laying it all on the line at that particular moment, he decided to let his anger fester, and waited for just the right moment and right medium to release it.
And that moment is now, months away from the Presidential Election. And that medium is Moore's new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Almost since Bush took over the Oval Office in 2000, Moore has been collecting evidence slandering Bush, and taking advantage of the fact that our dear President isn't exactly the smartest of individuals. So, what do four years of film footage, government documents, interviews, and the disaster of 9/11, edited and put together by Moore in the humorous manner only he can provide, make? It makes, quite possibly, one of the greatest "pop-politics" movies ever made.
Yes, Moore isn't exactly the most likeable of individuals. He's abrasive, partisan, and at times, quite annoying, but, when placed in the same world we live in that's dominated by the bullshit broadcasted by right-wing media, he almost sounds like the lone voice of reason in a maelstrom of "conservative" and corporate nonsense. We desperately need his brand of exagerrative, liberal politics and filmmaking to counter the stuff pouring out at the opposite end of the political spectrum. You can't say his stuff is impartial, or even fair to his opponents, but god damnit, were his opponents fair to his allies? I don't think so.
With Moore's new movie leading the way, the battle between liberals and conservatives has actually become a war again, not a one-sided bashing being won by Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp. Empire.
If you're thinking this movie is like Bowling for Columbine, stop thinking that way. While I love BfC, from a movie-goer perspective, it did drag, particularly in the beginning. And Michael Moore did at times seem to be a bit too aggressive in trying to convey his point in that movie. But, in F 9/11, Moore takes a step back, gets off camera, and succeeds completely in making the documentary medium thoroughly interesting and gripping. And with events like 9/11 and the Iraqi War to draw from, Moore succeeds in creating tear-jerker moments. Bush, himself, is almost like the movie's constant punch-line, allowing the President to dig his own hole with well-edited clips of our main man in action. As I said, the movie isn't entirely fair, but, then again, neither is our news media, outside of the BBC.
So see it for yourself. Depending on your affection for our President, you'll either love it or hate it. Either way, it's going to reinforce the idea that we all should've learned from the last election.
We ALL need to vote. The stakes are too high for us not to.
posted by djkibblesnbits at 12:46 PM
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2 Comments:
saw it last night, in the beginning where most of the "funny" parts were, i couldn't laugh, 'cause its really sad that it was all true. There was some stuff in there I hadn't known about before that really pissed me off, like the fact that the Bin Ladens were flown out of the country right after 9/11. WTF
Anna
I like the review. I'm glad I didn't read any reviews from people before I watched the film. I was about to, but then I told myself that I would rather watch it for all its worth. If I had done my layout in time, I probably would have written this same exact review haha. I completely agreed. On top of that, I'd say that Michael Moore knows that the liberals in this country are scared shitless of saying anything against these barbaric ruffians in office for fear of disappearing. The conservatives are straight assassins. Organized as all hell.I'm going to vote, but I'm gonna need constant reminders why because of how I voted last time and Bush still won. U know Gore really did win. Yikes. ::shakes head::. We still didn't do anything about that. We protested and all that. Maybe we need a foreign country to come in and "remove" our leadership haha. That'd be great.
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