JDIFF DAY 3 - Falling for Capitalism: A Love Story

Posted on Sunday February 21, 2010, 00:57 by Sam Toy in Under The Radar

I was feeling like I was the only person in the world (or at least on the festival circuit) who hadn't seen Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story, so Day 3 of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival was my chance to make amends. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t expecting huge things from it - possibly because his style has become so familiar, or maybe because his profile is large enough for his opponents to see him coming these days; whatever the reason, it turns out I'd underestimated this one. I’m still evaluating it, but it may be Moore’s strongest film since Bowling For Columbine.

After the basically solid but ever-so-slightly underwhelming Sicko, and with his nemesis leaving the White House, Moore must have been nervously biting his nails in search of a target. A sane man would be President once again - tough times for a crusading domestic documentary maker. But then the financial crisis erupted. Oh, how that angry little part of his brain must have been jumping for joy at the workout it was about to receive; suddenly Moore had a target - and here, unlike the scattershot, over-spun approach of Farenheit 9/11, that target is so obviously and overwhelmingly guilty, that it's like shooting fish in the proverbial barrel – an overcrowded one at  that. His reputation for manipulating his message, and occasionally suspect button-pushing may be one that's deserved (no matter how right he is), but this feels like his least distorted movie in a long time - because he doesn’t need to bend the truth. There are no grey areas here, just a long line of greedy, guilty bankers who (quite literally) need to pay.

Moore has always preached to the converted (he did, after all, consider the priesthood before filmmaking) but he is a highly entertaining preacher. The value of his films isn’t in the overall message, it’s in the details. Capitalism is part history lesson, part sociology lesson, part economics and part politics lesson – and it’s an excellent one, clearly explaining the problems that America has gotten itself into and why. And when something can’t be explained, he makes damn sure you know that this is because it doesn’t actually make sense (sub-prime loans, we’re looking in your direction).

It’s not perfect – there are times in the middle where it feels as though he’s trying to tie too much together, but it all comes together in the end – and with quite an inspiring finish (even despite a recent backlash to the Obama administration after the film’s completion). The editing team should be given medals – particularly for a brilliant opening montage comparing post-war USA to the Roman empire. Likewise for Moore’s researchers, who bring some shocking cases to light.

By now, you know what you’re in for with one of Moore’s films, but if you’re getting a bit jaded and need a push to get into more grief about the recession, then let this be that push. You’ll get angry, laugh a bit, and probably learn something.