Michael Moore Hates America

Do not judge by the title
I think that for a first attempt at film making, Michael Wilson does a creditable job. Documentaries are not expected to display cinematic art to the degree of other genres. Documentaries are to film what informational books are to writing: it is the validity of the content that is of primary importance.

Wilson uses Moore's own story line from "Roger and Me", vainly following the title character around the country in search of an interview, and does it quite well. The movie is quite interesting and sometimes funny (especially his interview of Penn Jillette).

Now, let's tackle the provocative title, "Michael Moore Hates America." I believe Michael Wilson used it in order to get his movie noticed. It is clear that he is uncomfortable with it: This is shown when, at the end of his interview with the extremely ethical documentarian, Albert Maysles, he sheepishly reveals the title, apparently expecting to be rebuked. To his surprise Maysles simply responds,...

Don't let the title fool you
Let me start this by saying I *AM* a fan of Michael Moore.

That being said, I do find some of his filmmaking techniques sloppy. That is the price you pay for trying to pack big issues into a two hour movie.

Is using the title "Michael Moore Hates America" any more inflamatory than titling a book "Dude, Where's My Country?" The fact of the matter is that this is the way that this form of entertainment appeals to its core audience, from either political spectrum.

What we have here is a delightful, if somewhat provocative film by a first time filmmaker. Is it good? Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs up. I'd say I have to agree with their assesment.

This is an important film for anyone who wants to be informed of both sides of the issues in Mr Moore's more recent films. Knowing both sides of a discussion is the only way a person can make intellectual decisions.

See this film.

Honest, Earnest, & Fair
With a title like this, it isn't a surprise that some won't see it because of what they think it's about. I am no fan of Moore, but believe him to be one of the most important film makers of this generation. That said, his tactics and his path to a point of view are frequently underhanded, misleading and at times, dishonest.

Michael Moore Hates America is certainly not as well crafted or entertaining as a Michael Moore film is, but then perhaps that is exactly why I liked it. I saw it in LA, and was prepared to hate it. Being a moderate, often liberal thinker, I thought it was going to be a political hack job, like so many other anti-Moore films of late have been. I was happy to discover that, while imperfect and flawed, it is honest and earnest in it's attempt to make a simple point (see the film for yourself) It's not an easy task, in fact, director Michael Wilson makes the point of showing us how easy it is to slip and cave in to the impulse to manipulate others...

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