And can that be a bad thing?
This
documentary, for all it claims to be out to achieve, is really nothing
more than a shameless cash-in on a name. It's a small time nobody's
attempt to get his name in the press by riding the coat tails of
someone more talented.
And in that way - Mike Wilson is right on track to be the Michael Moore.
Moore shot to fame in Roger & Me,
with a vain attempt to secure an interview with
millionaire General Motors CEO Roger Smith. Moore set out to be the
voice of "the little man". In doing so, he became part of the system
that he was fighting against once the Hollywood $$ came calling. In Michael Moore Hates
America, Wilson too sets off on a nationwide quest to interview another millionaire, Michael Moore.
While
the film's title suggests this is little more than a smear campaign
with a DVD release, Wilson does do quite well in actually
deconstructing the various arguments from both the Left and Right
wingers. He also goes to town on his own actions and inabilities as a
film maker - so to say the film is pretty evenly balanced is an
understatement.
So what's the point of the film aside from
reaffirming the notion that "Michael Moore is an a**hole" and Michael
Wilson is "A film school nerd who is out of his depth"?
Well not much.
There
is a hell of a lot of time looking at how poorly Wilson goes about the
business of making the film itself - and that's hardly inspiring... or
interesting - and by and large he steals every technique honed by Moore
and Morgan Spurlock (even down to the cartoons and the "insightful and
heartfelt" voice overs).
Had he stuck to the topic at
hand, this might have warranted more attention for the films own merits
- rather than the appeal of the title - because there are some really
enjoyable moments throughout Michael Moore Hates America.
But there are just as many moments which drag the film down (most of it
involving Wilson himself) and that is where it falls flat.
Whether
Wilson can follow this up with a film that succeeds on it's own merits
rather than hitching a ride on someone else's hard work remains to be
seen. But for a first try, it's a pretty decent - and fairly watchable
- effort.
One for the political nuts and the uni students who love a bit of controversy.
DVD EXTRAS
No
extras on the DVD we received. An extended version of Wilson's infamous
confrontation with Moore at a school lecture might have been worth
checking out - but I guess it wasn't to be!
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: N/A
|
