When walking into a theater to view a Michael Moore documentary, there’s a list of things that one expects to see – like fearless, shameless judgment of American government and open criticism of Wall Street fat cats and their infamous golden parachutes. There are a few things that you don’t expect, though.
Don’t look for the theater to be packed shoulder-to-shoulder, and don’t be surprised if the local theaters aren’t even showing the film.
Michael Moore’s films are a far cry from the feel-good, happily-ever-after fairy tales frequently produced in Hollywood, and with the weight of our current economic state, people tend to gravitate more toward fiction than fact.
In his latest work, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” he portrays the American government system as a hopeless romantic, suffering the pangs of infatuation with capitalism, its paramour.
However, the love tends to be unrequited. In fact, recently, the dramatic love affair has played out before the eyes of Americans everywhere on news networks, much in the same way that celebrity affairs play out in national tabloids.
At the beginning of the film, viewers are quickly introduced to the Hackers, a family experiencing the humiliating process of eviction. The family is forced by the town sheriff to move out several days before they anticipated.
They have to burn many of their belongings outside their home, and clean the house from top to bottom within a matter of hours so that the home may be spic and span for the new family who now owns it.
“This is capitalism-a system of taking and giving . mostly taking,” Michael Moore narrates.
Moore takes no prisoners in his exploration and exposure of a society that he claims has denounced democracy for capitalism.
He touches on a multitude of subjects to prove his point, from the era of Reaganomics to General Motors’ bankruptcy declaration to Amegy, which took out multiple Dead Peasant policies on its workers, to the taxpayer-funded bailout of some of the country’s most respected and notable banks.
“Capitalism: A Love Story” reveals figures that will make you cringe and images that will make you question if you live in the America you thought you lived in.
At the end of the film, Moore implores viewers to join him in exposing America’s love affair with capitalism.
“Capitalism: A Love Story” satisfies the expectations of die-hard Michael Moore fans, and introduces middle class movie-goers to an American reality that they never could have imagined.
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