By Jason Greenough | Arts & Entertainment Editor
Roger and Me. Bowling For Columbine. Fahrenheit 9/11. Sicko. Capitalism: A Love Story. And now…Where To Invade Next? Michael Moore, everyone’s favorite Detroit Tigers cap-wielding documentarist is back, and he is pulling out all the stops in his new film, Where To Invade Next?, which paints a comparison of aspects of the American way of living to those of countries all over the world.
Moore travels to places like Italy, Germany, France, and Norway to compare their standards of living to those in the States in regards to things such as paid leave and vacation time, tuition costs, food quality in public schools, health care costs and quality, and the education and prison systems, to name a few. And from a viewer standpoint, he hit the nail right on the head. I feel Where To Invade Next? is Michael’s most intense work. While I am always a fan of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the film responsible for getting me interested in political activism and the rest of Moore’s catalogue, and Bowling For Columbine, which I didn’t see until many years after it was released, but still made me feel as if I was there for that situation., this effort certainly lives up to the expectations of someone who was looking for a moving, informative, and brutally honest view of what America looks like from other countries around the world. I needed my feelings to be validated, and to simply say that “they certainly were” is a gross understatement. It showed just how universal the perception of America is, except in America. We seem to be putting on the rose-colored glasses all too often, that is if we ever take them off. We are not, especially in the eyes of these other countries, the land of opportunity. People actually laugh at us. And Moore discusses why.
Moore shows just how upset he is with America in this one. Not saying he didn’t before, but he went above and beyond on this film, and it shows. In true Michael Moore fashion, he mixes humor with serious, and it’s absolutely brilliant, per usual. I won’t spoil anything because you all need to see this for yourselves, but rest assured that this isn’t a dry, black and white presentation of some facts found on the side of a cereal box. This is straight-forward, but in-depth. It’s in your face, but gives you space to process the information. And it’s spot on. I’ve had my own problems with the American standard of living for a long time. But this film had me leaving the theater, while 12 degrees and snowing outside, with a flaming anger towards how the establishment has really left the American citizens out to dry in order to fulfill their own self-interest.
The saddest part of this film, in my opinion, is the fact that it isn’t just one area of the rest of the world that looks at our system like a complete joke. It’s everywhere.
I’m getting antsy just thinking about all of this stuff again. So, I need you to go watch it and become infuriated with me. You won’t be disappointed, I promise. Forget G.I. Joe, Moore shows that he is the real American Hero in Where To Invade Next?, and I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Cheers, Mike. Thank you for this. Thank you for everything, really. But this…we needed this. Thank you.
Moore sticks the landing on this one, thus I give Where To Invade Next? A 10/10 and a standing ovation!
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