Reviews

Moore seems to say that W started the war in Iraq to distract us from the real culprits: his dad's friends, the Saudis. He also seems to say that Saudi influence in the US stems from alliances between the Bush family and Saudi leaders. Wrong on both counts. The war can be blamed on another W: Wolfowitz and his neocon clique. They've been pushing it for ten years. They wanted it to establish a "democratic" Middle East, and W is in sympathy with their dangerous and nonsensical schemes. For all of them, 9/11 was a convenient excuse to implement their agenda. Also,the Bush family is not the only US elite in bed with the Saudis--that connection with our leaders is much longer and deeper. And as for them being corporate whores--90% of our politicians are corporate whores, including Kerry and Clinton! The Bushes are just among the better paid. My complaint is that Moore's indictment doesn't have enough perpetrators listed--but a film like that would have taken twice as much time.

That said, however, the second part of the film--the antiwar part--is devastatingly on target. An elite planned and profits from the war, Bush and the media lie to us about it, young and poor Americans die in it, and Iraqi civilians are murdered in its flames. This is not an original message about war--but Moore does a powerful and unforgettable job of presenting it. So notwithstanding inaccuracies and distortions, I hope everyone sees this film. Not just because it does irreparable harm to Bush's reelection campaign (too bad, Bushies), but because many thoughtful people will see how they've been fooled--and in that regard, the ending is perfect.

It's not the masterpiece some seem to think it is, and I could understand why some people might turn off to it. I'm not a big fan of French cinema. It demands some patience and thought. I liked "Human Resources" better. But I found it very engrossing and convincing as a psychological study of the main character, and most interesting as commentary on the nature of work and the contagiousness of greed in our times. It is on target as social criticism; this story could have been located anywhere. The acting was solid; the cinematography very effective; and the music--well--appropriate. The ending, I must say, left me puzzled until I thought about it a bit--I found it somewhat disappointing in some ways. You be the judge.

My wife and I both got tired of this after about half an hour. By now, this kind of story has become formulaic and cliched. The adult in-jokes; the anthropomorphic sentimentality; the perils and chases--much too cutesy and much too contrived, even for a Disney film. This is totally lacking in the inventiveness, humor, and appeal--or creative animation--of Monsters Inc., Shrek, or A Bug's Life, all of which I loved. It's probably easy to become overwhelmed by the nice colors on the big screen; in this case, seeing it on DVD is to see the film more clearly and to realize it doesn't live up to the hype.

Noticed this in Maltin's book, found it on a $1.99 sales shelf in the local video store. Interesting and thoughtful story about the son getting some hands-on experience driving a truck in his father's carpet factory, and experiencing the real and rather grim world of work. Very 70's in its point of view--and that's a compliment.

Where, oh where, can I find this film? I saw it long ago on TV--it was a tremendously moving, thoughtful, and painfully honest drama about race relations during the period it portrays. Beautifully acted and absolutely authentic in spirit. But it seems to have vanished forever.

The music is irritating, the characters are obnoxious, the story is uninteresting, the cinematography is annoying, the dancing is unimpressive, and the acting nothing special. And I happen to like musicals. "Chicago" got on my and my wife's nerves so much we stopped the DVD after half an hour. We're obviously a minority--and I don't see why.

If you can appreciate a combination of political idealism, spirituality, and love, this movie is for you. That unusual mix is why it couldn't find a large audience. It's also not for the literal-minded, or for people who can't understand political commitment. A beautiful "sleeper" for those who are open to its themes and emotions. It is also for you if you liked this director's "Mother Night" and, especially, "Midnight Clear"--one of the best antiwar movies ever made IMHO.

It shows its age, and that's part of its charm. It's filled with old-fashioned ethnic stereotypes, but that makes it even more fascinating. This movie is a time machine; hop into it and you'll see a gritty and realistic picture of working-class New York City life in the early 1930s. It's pre-Code, so the language is blunt and the sexuality more open. The plot isn't Shakespeare, but it grabs onto you anyway, and the characters are so attractive and watchable that you become part of their neighborhood. A piece of cinematic and social history that is well worth your 80 minutes of time.

I felt exhausted when I left the theater--I got so involved that I felt that I had gone through their experience myself. It helps that I am also of German Jewish ancestry, but my wife felt the same way, and she is not. The film draws you in through its beauty and humanity. My only criticism would be that it is somewhat overlong and seems a bit disjointed toward the end--but the ending itself, which is wonderful, redeems that minor flaw. It is of course a "Holocaust film", but a very special kind of that genre, and most deserving of its Oscar.

Nicholson is good, but the character he plays is such a cultural stereotype, so unsympathetic, and so empty that he has no reality at all. It's impossible to become emotionally involved with him--or any of the others for that matter. It's all very predictable and all very dull. The "letters to Ndugu" plot prop is unoriginal and, to me, unbelievable. And the ending is an outright insult to the intelligence.

Some of the mainstream "external reviews" I read on the IMDB website link did a lot of nitpicking about this film's format, organization, Moore's egocentricity, etc. All garbage. Maybe since the mass media is one of his main targets, they felt obliged to trash him as best they could. But they can't get away with it. This is a masterpiece. Of course, I love Michael Moore and his politics, so I have a bias. But I really didn't expect to be as moved, shocked, angered, and delighted as I was by this film. Aside from that, anything I might add would be redundant. I never watch the Academy Awards, but next year I will. It can't possibly happen, but can you imagine him shambling up to the stage, unshaven and unkempt, to grab the Oscar?