He is provocative. He preaches. He often cherry-picks data to justify his conclusions. But there is a reason Michael Moore is the most successful documentary-maker on the planet: he can drive home a palatable message in hugely entertaining and accessible fashion.
Where to Invade Next is an expansive, rib-tickling, and subversive comedy in which Moore, playing the role of “invader,” visits a host of nations to learn how the U.S. could improve its own prospects. The creator of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine is back with this hilarious and eye-opening call to arms. Turns out the solutions to America’s most entrenched problems already exist in the world—they’re just waiting to be co-opted.
The origins of Moore’s film started when he was traveling through Europe after leaving college. “I was in Sweden and I broke my toe, and somebody sent me to a clinic. Not much you can do with a broken toe, but they did what they could, and I went to pay the bill, and there was no bill. And I didn’t understand it. Seriously, I had never heard of such a thing. And so they explained to me how their healthcare system worked, and all through Europe I just kept running into little things like that, thinking, ‘That’s such a good idea! Why don’t we do that?’”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFgewMnZdQc
Documentary on Michael Moore’s global quest for new ideas for America. Opens Feb. 26 at the Varsity. 110 minutes. 14A
Agencies/Canadajournal