Film Reviews

Capitalism: A Love Story

• Rating:
• Director: Michael Moore
• Starring: Michael Moore
• Details: US/127mins PG

Michael Moore was never going to win over any fence-sitters with this documentary, but that seems to be the case with him in general. A polarising figure at the best of times, here he tackles 'Big Money America', or more specifically the banks on Wall Street that have been foreclosing on homes across America - and then leaving them dormant. These same banks have also been benefiting from the deaths of their employees through a strange insurance plan that sees them make thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars on one of their workers if they pass away.
Through his usual frantic editing style, inserting clips of old TV shows and movies throughout to emphasize his point, Moore has essentially made a elongated lesson of what Capitalism is. He's always informative, smartly presenting his dispute in a way that can be easily digested by the masses; that doesn't always make him right, and the often violent shoving of said argument, coupled with Moore's undeniable smugness has been known to grate many. But he believes he's fighting the good fight, standing up for the underprivileged, forgotten members of society who feel they need a voice. On the evidence of this, despite how you may feel about him personally, he appears to be doing just that.
There are certainly cheap shots galore; Moore really goes after Ronald Reagan, cutting from a sombre, honest addressing of the American public from his predecessor Jimmy Carter, to comical clips of Regan's old movies. He makes his point, but he does so with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the crotch. Also, completely blaming Reagan for the onslaught of Capitalism in the early 80s will find its opposition; bold claims, but ones we've certainly come to expect from the thorn in the side of corporate America.
As a piece of enlightening entertainment this works extremely well. But when Moore is in front of the camera it feels more like a personal crusade, albeit a noble one, that bangs of self-indulgence. The symbolic wrapping of Wall Street in crime scene tape is evidence of this, as his obligatory final reel stunt once again comes off as gimmicky. Some fine work done, it's just sometimes undermined by grandiose overtly symbolic gestures of its director and, unnecessary, star.

Review by Mike Sheridan