A few days ago I read a diary about Moore being in the hospital, bumming out that he couldn't pimp his movie just when it was being released. I commented that I would see it and pimp it, so…
This afternoon in Berkeley, I saw Michael Moore's new movie, "Where to Invade Next." There were perhaps 60-75 in attendance at the bargain matinee — mostly grey haired hippies. Not exactly what you might expect from reading the title alone, in the film Moore, "invades," several countries in order to steal their best socio-political practices to bring back to America. I'm not a movie buff, so please forgive me for not knowing movie-speak. I'll try not to spoil (or say) too much.
At the the beginning of the film, the audience giggled in astonishment at the great benefits of Italian workers and the progressive attitudes of Italian factory owners. The French school kids in the trailer are both adorable and sophisticated in the film. I bet many in the audience were surprised to learn about the American college students in Slovenia -- I sure was! Throughout the movie, Moore and the subjects in his film remind the audience that many of the ideas for successful programs in other countries came from the US, which has since cutback or eliminated many of them.
Sometimes the audience erupted in applause. Other times, anxious gasps or tear-induced sniffles could be heard around the theater -- there is some rather disturbing historical imagery and there are plenty of poignant reminders of parts of our past and present that we are not proud of. By the end, Moore had examined many of the issues at stake in the current presidential election using examples of how other countries do it better — and in many cases, cheaper. I don't know whether Bernie entering the race had anything to do with Moore making this particular movie for release now, but much of it's message is in line with that of Bernie Sanders, who Moore has endorsed.
Where to Invade is not a gut-wrencher like, "Bowling for Columbine," an outrage-producer, like, “Fahrenheit 911,” or a tear-jerker, like, "Sicko." Instead it's mostly a charming movie with comedic moments interspersed with serious moments, made with what seem to this non-movie buff to be high production values. Unlike the intense emotions I have felt after seeing most of Moore's other films, I came out of the theater today uplifted, with a smile on my face, whistling the familiar closing credit music (though now I can’t remember what tune it was)!
So please send Michael some good vibes and go see, "Where to Invade Next!"
I liked it. If you're a progressive, you'll probably like it too!