There's a sense of urgency in Michael Moore's voice these days. I suppose there always was but it's much more apparent in his latest movie Capitalism: A Love Story. Yes, there's plenty of muckraking and hounding, but more than that there is pleading. Pleading directed towards the audience for initiative, mobilization, and action. Sound like a hardcore song? It might as well be, the film actually opens with a punky(er) version of Louie Louie with altered lyrics which really sets the tone.
I talked a bit with Shane about where to put this one in terms of Moore's repertoire, and we both concluded that it would indeed be somewhere near the top, but not quite the pinnacle. This movie is a different beast than the rest of his movies not because the beats are different, but because of the difference in subject matter. The villain in Capitalism is a nebulous one. And in some cases it might even be tempting to call us (American consumers) the villain, as President Carter did. Moore stops shy of pointing the finger at the popcorn eating crowd, but he does show that clip of Carter admonishing the proletariat, which is jarring to say the least. The point? We're used to placation. We love being distracted (insert irony here, I know.) even when our basic rights are being clipped.
The movie itself stands up well to his others. It's not quite as sappy as the sappiest of the bunch, and it's definitely not the funniest. Though I was able to view his most outrageous stunts as being justified performances in this movie. Remember the teaser trailer?
I still feel like they are borderline absurd and impractical, but I guess that's what makes them interesting performances. I did chuckle a few times always staying careful not to laugh at the wrong times.
If this review hasn't been too descriptive, it's because, I feel I lack the tools to accurately critique this movie. In terms of movie making, everything takes a backseat to the message, which is semi nebulous itself other than capitalism=bad or Moore's attempt to soften Americas' perception of Socialism. I can say that I enjoyed it, and that it hit close to home, as I imagine it will for most who see it. And I suspect that in the long run this director will earn the title of one of the greatest propagandists of the century.