Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

75% of critics liked it
(176 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(68,631 ratings)

Twenty years after his influential debut, Roger & Me, Michael Moore returns to his roots by pulling back the curtain on capitalism to reveal the insidious role it has played in the destruction of the American dream for many people. Back in 1989, auto workers in Flint, MI, were lamenting layoffs and… More Twenty years after his influential debut, Roger & Me, Michael Moore returns to his roots by pulling back the curtain on capitalism to reveal the insidious role it has played in the destruction of the American dream for many people. Back in 1989, auto workers in Flint, MI, were lamenting layoffs and wondering how they would support their families without jobs to pay the bills, or benefits to ensure their health. Flash forward two decades, when cities all across the country are feeling the same pressures that Flint residents were back when GM left them high and dry. With an average of 14,000 U.S. jobs lost every day and taxpayer money constantly being pumped into failing financial institutions, the question must be asked: how long can this go on before the entire system collapses? Is there really any hope for Americans who are losing their homes to foreclosure and seeing their savings get wiped out at an unprecedented rate? In order to seek out an answer to this question and many more, Moore takes a trip to our nation's capitol, engaging average Americans in conversations about the prospect of repairing America's failing, debt-ridden economy along the way. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr.
Directed By: Michael Moore
Written By: Michael Moore
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Sep 23, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Mar 9, 2010
Studio: Overture Films

Critic Reviews

Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National
Moore is always visually playful and subversive, and even when dealing with such serious and depressing topics entertaining; but he's also game enough to examine America's mythology of prosperity.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
Smart-alecky and simplistic? Yeah. And primo Moore.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
As a filmmaker creating a product for a marketplace, supported by profit-seeking investors, he obviously has some comfort level with capitalism in the sense of doing business.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Michael Moore is up to his old tricks in Capitalism: A Love Story, and that's sure to both infuriate, and entertain and inform, depending which side of the Michael Moore fence you stand on.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
While it's amusing to watch Moore on camera plaster the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange with crime-scene tape, when Moore goes through his customary security-guard harassment in another segment, it's hard not to think: Here we go again.
Michael Granberry, Dallas Morning News
In a movie long on symbols, dead peasants are the most egregious, but a close second would be the rah-rah "confidential" Citibank memo about the United States having become a "plutonomy."
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
A lot of the old Moore is still obvious in Capitalism, his genuine belief in everyone pulling together his feel for a good public stunt but he's lost a little something. The social zeal of his best work has been replaced with a hint of fanaticism.
James Rocchi, Common Sense Media
Docu on corporate misdeeds names names, makes mistakes.
Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
As with all of Moore's films, this is really about the fall of The American Dream, with Moore acting as our tour guide into the rotten core of his beloved country. And once again, his heart is in the right place. If only he could keep his ego out of it.
Ian Buckwalter, DCist
This isn't just about pointing fingers at those who have gotten us into this mess, but about mobilizing working people to stop waiting for someone else to fix it, to stop sitting idly by while their wages, pensions, health care, and homes are stolen.
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com
[Michael Moore] is cheeky, he's outrageous and he can get awfully full of himself... but he does have a way of getting your blood up...
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The constant quotations from the Founding Fathers suggest his real concern is a somewhat nebulous betrayal of the American Dream.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Moore continues his career as provocateur with this often eloquent, occasionally muddled, bill of particulars which indicts Wall Street's ethos of greed. As with most of Moore's documentaries, the film is strongest when he's behind the camera, rather than
Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
While Moore still stacks the deck, there are enough scenes portraying callously inhuman policies, such as the death peasant insurance, to pacify the viewer for two overlong hours.
Damon Wise, Empire Magazine
A barbed study of the American economy puts capitalism in the dock but somehow fails to convict.
Ben Walters, Time Out
The thesis that rapacious capitalism has horrific social consequences is credible and well illustrated, if hardly eye-opening to European viewers.
, Film4
Republicans have long used these methods to influence the public with great success - all Moore does is play them at their own highly effective game.
Wendy Ide, Times [UK]
For all his cheap tactics, Moore mounts a persuasive case that something is rotten in the current economic system.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Michael Moore has succeeded in getting a film on this subject actually released in cinemas: a very sharp and entertaining one at that.
David Gritten, Daily Telegraph
Funny, angry and deadly accurate.

Read all 23 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lucas M

A shocking and interesting film by Michael Moore, other terrific vision about a USA problem. Fresh.
Candy R

I love these type of documentaries. It investigates the cause of the economic crisis in US and how taxpayers have had to bail out the rich corporates. Most shocking news - corporates like Wal-Mart, Bank of America, Proctor and Gamble benefit from the death of employees because of… More
I love these type of documentaries. It investigates the cause of the economic crisis in US and how taxpayers have had to bail out the rich corporates. Most shocking news - corporates like Wal-Mart, Bank of America, Proctor and Gamble benefit from the death of employees because of policies they have taken out in them.
Manu G

"This is capitalism. A system of taking and giving... mostly taking." This is one smart real film. This is a scary world we live in, we are ruled by an American government that can't really be trusted, but is this new? Heck no! Still the information seeing in this film… More
"This is capitalism. A system of taking and giving... mostly taking." This is one smart real film. This is a scary world we live in, we are ruled by an American government that can't really be trusted, but is this new? Heck no! Still the information seeing in this film is vital and important for everyone. * "I sincerely believe... that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." - Thomas Jefferson, 1816 * A home is foreclosed in America every 7 1/2 seconds. * Please give generously to "Pennies for Pilots." Just look for the donation canisters next time you fly. * "Property monopolized or in the possession of a few is a curse to mankind." - John Adams, 1765 * Wal-Mart no longer takes out dead peasant policies on their employees. But they still call them "associates". * Eight months after taking back their own home, the bank gave up trying to evict the Trody family of Miami. They are still in their home. * The foreclosure company has moved out of Flint, leaving only a PO Box and more unemployed workers behind. * "No man ought to own more property than needed for his livelihood; the rest, by right, belonged to the state." - Benjamin Franklin * "It's class warfare, my class is winning, but they shouldn't be." - Warren Buffett, World's Richest Person 2007 The film alternates between a fierce critique of the status quo, personal portraits of the suffering caused by the recent economic crisis, and comical social satire. The film begins a series of security footages of bank robberies (one of the robbers was even on a crutch) accompanied by the song "Louie, Louie". Moore then uses an Encyclopædia Britannica archive video to compare the modern-day America with the Roman Empire. The film then depicts home videos of families being evicted from their homes, as well as the "Condo Vultures", a Florida real estate agent whose business flourished with the increasing number of foreclosures. The film then cuts back to the past "golden days" of American capitalism following World War II, and a speech by President Jimmy Carter warning Americans of the dangers of "self-indulgence and consumption". In the following Reagan years where the policies of Don Regan "turned the bull loose" for free enterprises, corporations gained more political power, unions were weakened, and socioeconomic gaps were widened. The film then cuts to the Luzerne County court scandal, Captain Sullenberger's congressional testimony regarding airline pilots' poor treatment, and the expose of "dead peasant insurance" policies that have companies profiting from the deaths of their employees. Moore then interviews several Catholic priests, including Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (Archdiocese of Detroit), all of whom consider capitalism contrary to the teachings of Christianity. The film then presents a mockery of what would happen if Jesus was a capitalist who wanted to "maximize profits", to "deregulate the banking industry" and wanted the sick to "pay out of pocket" for their "pre-existing condition", in contrast with several news pundits who proclaim the success of various capitalist enterprises as being a "blessing from God." The film then features a leaked internal Citigroup memo happily declaring the United States a "plutonomy" (a society "where economic growth is powered by and largely consumed by the wealthy few"), with the top 1% of the population controlling more financial wealth than the bottom 95% combined. The same report also raises the concern of "societies demanding a more 'equitable' share of wealth". Moore then interviews Wall Street Journal columnist Stephen Moore (no relation), who believes "capitalism is a lot more important than democracy". The film then cuts to codetermination worker cooperatives like Wisconsin's Isthmus Engineering and California's Alvarado Street Bakery, which are owned and run democratically by their employees, as alternative models to the current capitalist system. After referring to Dr. Jonas Salk, who selflessly gave away the patent of the polio vaccine for the public good ("Would you patent the sun?"), Moore wonders about how the brightest of America's young generation are attracted into finance instead of science. Moore then goes to Wall Street seeking technical explanation about derivatives and credit default swaps, only to be advised "don't make any more movies". Eventually Marcus Haupt, a former VP of Lehman Brothers, agrees to help but fails at clearly explaining these terms. Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff similarly fails ("Sorry... I apologize... These are pretty exotic"). Moore eventually concludes that the complex system and terminology are merely there to confuse and "get away with murder", and Wall Street is just "an insane casino". Moore then explores the role of Alan Greenspan and the U.S. Treasury in leading up to the United States housing bubble that devastated the American middle class. Moore also interviews a former employee at Countrywide Financial responsible for their VIP program for "FOAs" and details how many members of Congress and political figures received favorable mortgage rates under the program. Moore then discusses with William Black, who analogizes the situation to the build-up of the collapse of a dam. The film then shows the series of events leading up to the passing of 2008 bailout proposed by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson (also the former CEO of Goldman Sachs). Moore then speaks with several Members of Congress, with Ohio congresswoman Marcy Kaptur supporting Moore's comment that the passing of the bailout is a "financial coup d'état". Moore interviews Elizabeth Warren, the head of the US Congressional Oversight Committee, the government agency serving as a watchdog for Congress' wrong-doing and investigating Congressional "oversights" (mistakes). He asks her, "Where's our money?", referring to the $700 billion bailout money which Congress gave to the big banks and Wall Street investment companies. There is a dramatic pause and Warren replies, "I don't know." Advised by Warren to contact Paulson's office for answer, Moore's call is promptly disconnected upon recognition of his identity. He then goes to Wall Street demanding to "get the money back for the American people", but is denied entry into every office building of the major banks. The film then shows the events leading up to the 2008 U.S. election, where branding of capitalism and socialism occurs as part of the scare campaign, and Moore expresses hope that the election of Barack Obama might turn things into the right track. The film then contrasts the present economic reality in America with the policy of US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who supported the Flint Sit-Down Strike in 1936. Moore also includes a long-lost archival footage of FDR calling for a Second Bill of Rights that would guarantee all Americans "a useful job, a decent home, adequate health care, and a good education." Moore discusses his own spiritual beliefs as a Catholic, and questions whether Jesus would belong to a hedge fund or sell short. His conclusion, which he elaborated on in more detail after the film's release, is that "you can't call yourself a capitalist and a Christian, because you cannot love your money and love your neighbor." The documentary features a number of positive portrayals, which include bailout watchdog Elizabeth Warren, Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans, who put forth a moratorium on home evictions, and Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur, who on the floor of the US Congress encouraged Americans to be "squatters" in their own homes, and refuse to vacate. The film closes with Moore placing police lines around numerous banks, and lastly, Wall Street itself. Moore's closing remarks are the following: capitalism is an evil which can only be eliminated, in its place, a better system is that of democracy - rule by the people, not by money, and asks all those who support his beliefs to "speed it up", mimicking the famous phrase said by Don Regan to Ronald Reagan during one of the latter's speeches.
Chris W

Michael moore has a good heart, and he does his homework, even if he does do some manipulations and resort to gimmicks once in a while. All of that does apply here, just like it does with his other films. However, this time he takes on an economic system: capitalism. To me, that seems… More
Michael moore has a good heart, and he does his homework, even if he does do some manipulations and resort to gimmicks once in a while. All of that does apply here, just like it does with his other films. However, this time he takes on an economic system: capitalism. To me, that seems pretty ballsy to attack an actual system and not just the institutions of it. Like the rest of his work, there's a mix of entertainment, tragedy, and a bit of comedy. Honestly, I think he'd make a good street preacher if filmmaking ultimately fails him. He even mentions in the film how he had at one time considered being a priest...just like another eellent film director named Martin Scorsese. I agree mostly with what's being said here, and I agree that something needs to be done about it, but I'm getting a little tired of Moore's schtick. It used to be extremely effective. Now it's lost its edge. Maybe he should try some new tactics or something. The subject matter isn't the problem...just the approach. I liked this, but it didn't seem angry enough. It seemed a bit more straightforward, yet still had some of the shock moments like stringing police tape across banls on Wall Street. It's a good moment, but the impact doesn't hit as hard as it should. Perhaps Moore should take a break for a while, think of another good subject to make a film about, then really hit it with a strong and fresh approach. Not all documentaries have to be bitter or depressing, either. He should think about that one, too.
Lorenzo v

"This is capitalism. A system of taking and giving... mostly taking." Capitalism: A Love Story examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). <center>"This is capitalism. A system of taking and giving... mostly taking." Capitalism: A Love Story examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). <center>REVIEW</center> Michael Moore's latest project doesn't just go after Bush, or health care or General Motors... he goes after the very foundation of American economy... the system of capitalism itself. A very bold film that is sure to alienate, he gives it his all. I was more hesitant about this film than any other Moore has made, afraid that his tendency for hyperbole would go overboard on this very controversial topic. But, I must say, he was actually more reserved than usual, stuck to his facts, and made what may be his best film yet. That, and it has a video clip from Parry Gripp, so that can't be a bad thing. Alan Greenspan, Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Timothy Geithner are presented as "people who get promoted because they're willing to say absurd things" rather than the correct thing. Goldman Sachs and Treasury Department are seen as having a revolving door between them. It is not a stretch to say that government is populated very heavily by the corporations they should regulate, be it in finance or elsewhere. We hear of pilots making minimum wage, having to give blood and work second jobs -- despite holding hundreds of lives in their hands each day. We are told of life insurance on employees ("dead peasants" insurance) which once covered important people but now can extend to the lowest of employees... gambling on death. Moore presents another idea: worker-owned businesses and co-ops. He says that democracy and capitalism are not compatible. (He uses "democracy" as a euphemism for socialism, but his point is that majority-rule democracy should not lead to minority-rule capitalism.) Is he right? I don't know... his views weren't as radical as I expected, and even if his solutions aren't correct, he highlights the problems like no other.
Mike S

Yet another great documentary by Michael Moore. Maintaining the same style as in his previous work, merging humor with tragedy and historical footage, you get instantly captivated by what he has to say. Many claim that Moore is making up facts and not doing his research right, but I… More
Yet another great documentary by Michael Moore. Maintaining the same style as in his previous work, merging humor with tragedy and historical footage, you get instantly captivated by what he has to say. Many claim that Moore is making up facts and not doing his research right, but I for one believe he's honest and sincere. The concrete cases he brings up, with regular hard-working people getting their lives destroyed due to the greed of others, are truly heart-rending and gripping. It's very dejecting to watch, as it reminds us of the selfish nature of people in top positions, let alone all the dark sides of capitalism. But I'm glad there's at least one film-maker out there who exposes these injustices. Not that I think it'll help much on a larger scale, but the more people who become aware of these crimes, the better. So for what it's worth, I really hope Moore keeps doing what he's doing.
Michael G

Capitalism: A Love Story, like any other Michael Moore movie/documentary is upsetting and depressing as anything else that's got his name on it. After seeing Sicko and doing a little research I realized that as much as I agree with what Moore's trying to do, the guy's… More
Capitalism: A Love Story, like any other Michael Moore movie/documentary is upsetting and depressing as anything else that's got his name on it. After seeing Sicko and doing a little research I realized that as much as I agree with what Moore's trying to do, the guy's not 100% bullshit free. If half of what he presented here was straight, we're doomed anyway but the fact that he slants the facts sort of gives me hope.
Thomas J

I have a film maker that thinks like me!! lol My complaint is the movie becomes too much - I will prove I am right vs let me share information so the viewer can decide.
Spencer S

Michael Moore does it once more, with great storytelling, comedy, and no fear. Though I have always believed capitalism as the one true justice in America, it is truly easy to see how the system now works against insetad of for the people. Thank you again Michael.
James A

Not his best work but still enjoyable listening to his hushed tones while describing tragedy.
Lanning :

I love Michael Moore; he and I see eye to eye on *almost* everything. Except maybe one thing. I do believe that when Moore focuses his camera on his subject, he is excellent. I'm not here to argue about possible biases or manipulation of facts and the audience, but I… More
I love Michael Moore; he and I see eye to eye on *almost* everything. Except maybe one thing. I do believe that when Moore focuses his camera on his subject, he is excellent. I'm not here to argue about possible biases or manipulation of facts and the audience, but I am here to say that I've seen many a strong documentary where the writer/producer/director does not appear. This absence does not seem to hurt any documentary that's well done. And I'm going to make a little suggestion to Moore about his future projects: Michael, I love your stuff, but I'd like for you to try a little experiment on your next film. How about you stay in the background and let your story tell itself? For me, every film he shoots loses its edge when he steps into the frame. The energy evaporates, along with the seriousness of purpose. For example, in this one, his exchanges with security guards and police about getting into various corporate headquarters does nothing to advance his message. We know he's not going to get in, he knows he's not going to get in, and the energy dies as these little Michael moments carry on. The same holds true of wrapping the yellow crime scene tape around the outside of various corporation offices and the New York Stock Exchange itself. We know that crimes have been committed in these places; we get it already.Thinking back on all his films, I feel my criticism of his entry into the frame holds true for all. These are the least effective parts of all of them. Why does Moore have to go to Walmart to buy bullets, or to their corporate headquarters to return the bullets? Why can't the victims be filmed doing this by themselves. To me, that would be much more powerfully effective. Michael, I do love your work, and I'm still on your email message list, but you need to try stepping out of the picture. Keep fighting the good fight for all of us.
Carlos M

Michael Moore is more serious here than ever before, providing another very well-edited and thought-out documentary that manages just as well to leave us outraged and indignant over what man and a corrupt system are capable of doing for money.
Anthony L

Michael Moore just can't seem to win. After his previous documentaries he has been accused of inciting paranoia, manipulating the truth for his own gain, tastelessly using gimmicks to get his points across, lying, being pretentious, being unpatriotic, amongst other negative… More
Michael Moore just can't seem to win. After his previous documentaries he has been accused of inciting paranoia, manipulating the truth for his own gain, tastelessly using gimmicks to get his points across, lying, being pretentious, being unpatriotic, amongst other negative comments, the list goes on but he seems to be a 'You either like him or you don't' kind of guy. I think it comes down to this, you either agree with what he is saying and believe something should be done about it or you trust everything that governments and large corporations tell you. I know which side of the fence I stand on and when you want to communicate with the masses, sometimes you need to get their attention by being a little different, if that means turning the tables or using easy to understand gimmicks then so be it. Do you think he's ever gone after a totally innocent politician or corporate executive. If you do I'm guessing your on the other side of the fence. Capitalism: A Love Story I believe is his best film to date. The gimmicks are pretty much gone, the facts are straight forward and unsensational, it sometimes feels as if he's grown tired of not being listened to but I think this is actually because the subject matter is so important to him, it should be important to all of us! I didn't need Mr. Moore to tell me half the stuff I heard here, I know about it already and have read many books on the subject, books most people haven't heard of and are not in every library or book shop. Micheal Moore is getting the message out to the people and that is the most important thing I can think of. Is anybody listening? Maybe the government and big corporations have already won. Would you rather bury your head in the sand? I'm beginning to rant. Reading the utter rubbish people have written on the subject annoys me because people generally don't know what they're talking about. But then why should you listen to me? Well, you shouldn't, you should find out the truth for yourselves, Capitalism: A Love Story is a good place to start though. I predict that Mr. Moore will be long dead before everyone will eventually agree with him, I also believe he's holding back for his own good. It will be too late then though. I'm beginning to rant again so I shall stop. Watch this film!
Michael S

Michael Moore does it again with yet another brilliantly hard-hitting documentary. Not quite the same caliber as SICKO and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, "Capitalism: A Love Story" is still a must see if you're of an open mind and welcoming of Michael Moore's views.
MisterYoda ?

He took on our nation's obsession with guns in BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. He took on the politics of Bush/Cheney fear mongering in FAHRENHEIT 9/11. He even took on the health care insurance industry in SICKO. And once more, the tenacious rabble-rouser from Flint, Michigan, Michael… More
He took on our nation's obsession with guns in BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. He took on the politics of Bush/Cheney fear mongering in FAHRENHEIT 9/11. He even took on the health care insurance industry in SICKO. And once more, the tenacious rabble-rouser from Flint, Michigan, Michael Moore, takes on the powers-that-be in a cinematic broadside that needs to be seen--CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY. In this new opus from the man who has always gotten under the skin of the nattering nabobs of negativity on the Far Right, Moore posits some very chilling questions about our system of Capitalism: Is it really intrinsically evil? Should it be abolished? And he does so with the kind of simmering populist outrage that has been his stock-in-trade since his 1989 breakthrough ROGER AND ME (which is in fact part of the archival footage he uses here). In it, he details how America's financial system got overheated by deregulation and predatory loan practices that struck at the heart of the poor and middle class, the ones who actually make up the heart and soul of America and who are always the most vulnerable, leaving the rich to walk away with billions in taxpayer bailout money. It also shows us how corporate greed, far from enriching our lives, has actually corroded them, and subsequently corroded our political system so that the villains of this whole scheme are the same ones that buy off our elected representatives to sit there and save their sorry behinds. But for each horror story he tells us (and there are many, make no mistake), there are stirring examples of common people standing up against the faceless corporate bullies and exercising their democratic rights (what a novel concept!): homeowners in Miami who refuse to budge from a foreclosed home; union workers in Chicago who refuse to leave their place of employment, a manufacturer of doors and windows, even after Bank of America has foreclosed; people in Congress who have finally had enough and scream "BULLSHIT!" to the corporate interests. All of this may seem like Moore is going to his usual excessive lengths to make his point, particularly when it comes to the idea of abolishing the capitalist framework altogether--a pipe dream, if ever there was one. But when doing a satirical documentary like this, a little excess can go a long way to expose some hidden truths about our country; and the fact that Moore exposes truths that we either disagree with or don't want to know about inevitably makes him a target for blind followers of the Far Right and the Palin/McCain/Joe The Plumber sect, whom Moore once again is able to skewer with their own words. And he doesn't go so easy on Bill Clinton's administration either, as several members of that administration themselves were involved in setting up the self-fulfilling prophecy that led to the near-complete collapse of the American economy in 2008. It was Michael Douglas' character Gordon Gekko who, in Oliver Stone's hard-hitting 1987 film WALL STREET, said to the audience at a stockholders' meeting: "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed works!" Well, as CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY shows, just the opposite is true. It is unrestrained greed and unrestrained fear that pushed America to the brink of total economic meltdown. And it is those same elements that have led Moore to the conclusion that Capitalism is evil. If he is wrong in his conclusion, then it is unfortunately not by much. And that is why CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY should be seen. We may not be able to abolish the capitalist system that has kept America a world power, but unless we do fundamental things now to place regulations on those that profit from greed, fear, and predatory behavior, then America may one day in the future go over the edge into the abyss with no hope to recover its lost greatness.
Jake .

I know a lot of people hate Michael Moore, and I sort of see why. He is really kind of judgemental and obnoxious. If I didn't more or less agree with him, I do not think I would have sat through this film. He makes good points and says things that need to be said, he just has a… More
I know a lot of people hate Michael Moore, and I sort of see why. He is really kind of judgemental and obnoxious. If I didn't more or less agree with him, I do not think I would have sat through this film. He makes good points and says things that need to be said, he just has a total lack of grace or tack. At times, echos of Bruno came to mind. At the same time, you also have to admire the fact that he feels needs to be said, not necessarily what people want to hear. The only reason I did not love this film more is that I instantly bristle against people like Michael Moore, people who fail to realize that theirs is not the only way, that's it might just be possible that they do not know everything, that other people really are doing the best that they can. Still, its a good film, certainly interesting, but I just cannot really rave about it.
Luke B

Michael Moore puts aside the majority of his comical shenanigans. It helps the film in terms of sincerity, but damages it's entertainment value. Moore usually has a way of making us laugh while getting us to think. Here, however, he makes some misguided choices. Actor Wallace… More
Michael Moore puts aside the majority of his comical shenanigans. It helps the film in terms of sincerity, but damages it's entertainment value. Moore usually has a way of making us laugh while getting us to think. Here, however, he makes some misguided choices. Actor Wallace Shawn discusses politics, Moore asks priests if Capitalism is evil, and he only interviews people that fail to define what derivatives are. His commentary and added effects to news archive footage is sometimes well done, but usually lacks subtlety. As always, he brings forth some horrendous injustices. It would just be nice to see him offer a defense for his accused.
Nate Z

Both films on the surface seem so radically different and yet I found lots of common ground between a sci-fi conspiracy and a muckraking documentary about the biggest financial meltdown of the modern era. Both are centered around the concept of greed and whether humanity can forgo… More
Both films on the surface seem so radically different and yet I found lots of common ground between a sci-fi conspiracy and a muckraking documentary about the biggest financial meltdown of the modern era. Both are centered around the concept of greed and whether humanity can forgo selfishness for empathy of their fellow man. Would you kill a stranger for a million bucks? Would you rig a financial system so that the richest one percent can gamble the life of a nation? Both movies also bite off more than they can chew and both movies exist as interesting yet dispirit elements that could use more cohesion and resolution. You have been given a box with a button. If you press the button tow things happen: somebody you do not know will die, and you will receive a million dollars. Do you press it? That?s the hook of writer/director Richard Kelly?s sci-fi morality tale, based upon a short story by Richard Matheson. The Box is a messy and outlandish conspiracy sandwiched between two moral tests, the second a consequence of the first and a means to wipe the slate clean. There?s plenty of weird unsettling moments, including the horrendous wallpaper of the 1970s, but not everything really hangs together. Kelly?s intergalactic conspiracy can get readily outlandish with all the variables and needed participants, but like in Donnie Darko, he lays out enough tantalizing info to keep your attention and then keeps the narrative vague enough for personal interpretation. However, unlike Darko, this movie needed to cleanup its loose storylines. It just sort of ends in perplexing rush, and I sat in silence through the end credits waiting for some kind of scene to help tie together dangling storylines that were left to dangle for an eternity. The Box has a nicely tuned foreboding atmosphere, and it certainly keeps you guessing, but it will also keep you scratching your head to try and make sense of everything from button boxes to teleportation pools to Mars probes to sudden nosebleeds to Satre?s ?No Exit.? Kelly, as he has done with his previous movies, packs a lot in two hours. Whether or not it all formulates is up to the viewer?s wearying patience. I?d rather have more movies like The Box than more thoughtless drivel from the Hollywood assembly line. After 20 years, you pretty much know at this point what you?re going to get from a Michael Moore documentary. There?s the anecdotal evidence, emotional interviews of the downtrodden, the one-sided arguments, the nods to the depressive state of Flint, Michigan, and Moore trying to bully his way to see the powers that be that have no interest seeing him. In a way, Capitalism: A Love Story is like a greatest hits collection for Moore that reminds you of his better moments and better films. Despite all the outrage, Moore wants to throw the baby out with the bath water. He cites capitalism as an ?evil? that needs to be eradicated. His thesis isn?t very cohesive and consists of a series of related and unrelated anecdotes, some of them grossly offensive like companies profiting from the death of employees thanks to ?Dead Peasant? life insurance policies. But at no point do you walk away thinking, ?Let?s start from scratch. What has capitalism gotten us?? Several of his points are easy to agree with. There is a flagrant disregard for the well being of others on Wall Street, who carelessly gambled the nation?s fortunes and then got the taxpayers to cover the loss. The bailout is a crime of capitalism and in a true capitalistic society there is no such thing as ?too big to fail,? there is only fail. It?s not following an ideology built upon greed that has hurt the U.S., it?s unchecked greed, capitalism run amok without any oversight or regulation that has endangered the nation?s livelihood, and I?m surprised Moore didn?t emphasize the process of deregulation from Reagan to Bush more. The story of our financial meltdown is too large for a confined two-hour narrative window, and it?s too important a lesson for a man like Moore to use it as fire to ignite a people?s revolution. Both movies: B-
Greg S

Muckraker Michael Moore examines the mortgage crisis, the financial bailout, and the growing gap between the rich and the pure [sic], and concludes that capitalism is pure evil. Manipulative socialist propaganda that is intermittently entertaining and exposes some concrete… More
Muckraker Michael Moore examines the mortgage crisis, the financial bailout, and the growing gap between the rich and the pure [sic], and concludes that capitalism is pure evil. Manipulative socialist propaganda that is intermittently entertaining and exposes some concrete injustices, but it seems irresponsible to deal with such complex and consequential issues in a 2 hour rant without any fact checking, meaningful context, or dissenting opinions. Whenever you see character actor Wallace Shawn brought in as the economics expert in a documentary, you should sense something is wrong.
Alice S

It's fine. A little bit mushy-gushy, but Moore does make his point about how capitalism has devolved from working hard to provide for you and yours, to stepping on other people just for the spoils.