[Professor S]

Well I finally saw this controversial film, which is really not controversial at all as it turns out. Its name is very misleading and is actually more ironic than mean spirited. In fact, after seeing how The Daily Show treated the director it only proved that no one on the show saw his movie, and that The Daily Show has taken that final turn to being no more than a funnier version of Michael Moore, but thats something for another post. Lets concentrate on the movie at hand.

The movie actually plays out in three distinct sections:

1) A criticism of Michael Moore's deceptive filmmaking techniques and pessimism. Most of this was already known by me, but there are a lot of areas that have not been explored by other debunkers and a lot of great interviews from people who were misrepresented by Moore in various films. He also has brief sections mirroring Moore's Roger and Me, showing the director's repeated attempts to gain an interview with Moore. Overall, though, this was the least complelling of Director Mike Wilson's sections.

2) A revisiting of many of Moore's locations and interviews that try and capture accurate portrayals of how areas like Flint Michigan are doing, in an attempt to shine a more trythful and yes, positive light on America than Moore portays (which isn't very hard to do). It also criticizes the seeming entitlement that many people feel the government owes them. he shows an America where hard work and perseverance overcome the obstacles that Moore believes are overwhelming.

3) A critique on the documentary genre itself and how it lends itself to abuses and mistruths, and how even the director finds himself using many of the same deceptive techniques that he accuses Moore of abusing. This is the best part of the film, as it shines a mirror on itself and analyses how documentaries can easily be skewed by those who DON'T intend to communicate an agenda. It was facinating how the producer was Wilson's constant check to guard against bias taking over the film. There are also great interviews with Penn Gillette and legendary Academy Award winning documentarian Albert Maylses (who loves Moore's politics, but despises his films) about the documentary genre. The amount of humility that Wilson shows in allowing his own faults as biases a director to take center stage is amazing for a filmmaker.

I recommend this film to anyone, whether you love or hate Moore, as a great viewing. It sheds a ton of light on the entire documentary genre and actually is more of a criticism of how polarized our country has become to the point of idealogical totalitarianism (believe in what I believe or you are not worth listening to). In the end Mike Wilson's film is about discourse and the honest exchange of ideas, and not about trying to silence dissent.

4 out of 5 stars. Its not what you think.