Capitalism: A Love Story
Directed by Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine)
Rated R for some language
Appropriate for ages 13+
Documentarian Michael Moore is back in this whistle-blowing look at what the banks and our government are up to while we aren’t paying attention. While the main focus of the film deals with the infamous bailout that took place late last year, he also finds a huge amount of sins committed against those with less by those with more.
Some of the scariest findings are the “dead peasant” policies that major corporations like Amegy bank and Wal-Mart take out on employees so that they can cash in when they die. Realizing that your average employee is worth more to the corporation dead than alive, they play a twisted game of Life that is so sick it is hard to believe.
Taking an angle he hasn’t used before, he points out the Christian view of capitalism. He interviews several clergy and makes a very convincing argument that Jesus would have never supported our capitalist system.
With Moore’s dry wit and cynical sense of humor, uncomfortable laughs abound. And his style of adding archival footage behind dialogue is as clever as ever.
As usual with some of his movies, some of his arguments aren’t completely convincing. I’m not so sure that pointing a finger at “the man” and putting all of the blame there is completely responsible. Some of the fault has to lie with the people for buying houses they couldn’t afford, even if the government and banks convinced them they could. Maybe Moore should have used this platform to try to teach some fiscal responsibility rather than simply present an “off with their heads” argument.
Also, if he really wanted this film to get out, he should have cut out the couple of F-bombs in it and opened up the movie for a much wider audience.
That being said, I do think that this is an important film. It’s not as vital or well-made as Sicko or Bowling for Columbine, but it shows America in a state of disrepair that is truly horrifying. He says in the movie “I refuse to live in a country like this – and I’m not leaving.” Love him or loathe him, I don’t think you can doubt his patriotism. A-