Review of Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) by John V — 05 Aug 2010

Jean-Paul Sartre was an advocate of the power of words as the champion of revolution and challenge, a concept taken to heart by Michael Moore, the one-man revolutionary armed with camera and courting controversy with each claim. The content and angle of his work may be not for all, but if such similarity to Tarantino's pedigree should earn him such high praise, the undoubted skill and style of Moore is praiseworthy enough of something similar.

Moore's latest film is a blend of selective statistics and crafty editing to hammer home the unashamed propaganda scorning the capitalist greed and immorality under-pinning American culture and society. If one's political associations permit this of course. The integration of the documentary and the hysterically poignant interjections from Moore himself all weave seamlessly into a bigger picture which Moore always manages to keep at the forefront.

Unsurprisingly, the works of Moore are impossible to scrutinize from a truly objective viewpoint - the controversial nature of his selection and presentation sees 'Capitalism: A Love Story' equate, as mentioned previously, to nothing little more than intelligent propaganda balancing impeccably the serious with the ridiculous. The movie is a triumph of Moore's crafting, understanding of entertainment and sheer bloody-mindedness which will stand the test of time effortlessly. That despite the controversy of the subject matter and mud-slinging which will never see this documentary ever straddle the distance between being adored or loathed in equal measure.