Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

Revew:

“Capitalism: A Love Story” is the latest installment in Michael Moore’s ongoing populist critiques of America as it stands today. I’ll admit outright that I usually agree with the points that Moore is making in his films but I also must acknowledge I realize his films walk a fine line between documentary and propaganda.

In “Capitalism,” Moore goes after the hot topic of our nation’s Economy and its current downward inclinations. He explores how the drive to maximize profits is a universal trend in corporate America and how that maximization often comes at the expense of the American public.

There is no doubt that money causes people to do outlandish and selfish things, be it on personal or global scales. Moore goes into some disturbing case studies including a privatized juvenile correction facility where a judge would receive payments for every child he sent to the facility. This of course led to many high schoolers having months of their lives taken away and have their records forever tarnished, all for the sake of a judge’s monetary gain.

Moore also emphasizes the most recent financial crisis. In some humorous moments he tries to have experts explain the housing bubble and the precarious financial maneuverings that caused it. No one is successful with a succinct explanation.
I must admit, I agree with the message of this film but I think Moore bites off more than he can chew here. I think he ran into a similar problem with his “Fahrenheit 9/11” (2004). There’s so much to cover that the film inherently becomes a little jumbled and tangential. Its not that what he’s saying doesn’t make sense, its just that his case studies in capitalism are so disparate, its hard to take away anything more than “Greed = Bad.”

His more successful films like “Sicko” (2007) and “Bowling for Columbine” (2002) each pick up one hot issue (healthcare and gun control, respectively) and explore it in focused detail. “Capitalism” tries to do this too, but the problem here is that the issue of capitalism really serves as an umbrella for a vast stew of issues. “Capitalism” is good, but its no powerhouse for economic reform.

Rating:

On a scale of one to ‘Casablanca’ this film is a “Horton Hears a Who” (2008)

Rationalization:

I enjoyed it enough to say that I’d sit through this film again. I think it says a lot of informative, important things. But with most documentaries like this I look for a good thesis. That capitalism begets financial evils is not news to me. Some of the specific cases are astonishing, I’ll admit. But when Moore is pointing his fingers everywhere, I tend to just lose sight of why he’s pointing fingers at all.