Let’s start with the title: it’s a complete bait and switch. There is an indication from this title and from the movie’s opening that this is a movie about the US Military and their dominance worldwide. You’d never guess it, but this movie has almost nothing to do with this, a breath of relief as you can imagine there are only so many times we can fathom all the negative elements of the trillion-dollar US war business.
Instead, Moore’s latest film, Where To Invade Next, is actually an optimistic documentary, a bit of a paradox in the world of news related docs. The film is a series of vignettes showing Moore traveling to, or ‘invading’, different countries on a hunt for what they are doing well and for ideas to take back to the United States. While his choice of countries is unfortunately very Euro-centric, the results are surprisingly effective. In every country, Moore chooses a specific topic to dive into. In France, it’s food in schools. In Italy, it’s work vacations. With each country, Moore is trying to show how systematically horrible our current system is and what it has the potential to be. The food in our school cafeterias is what is nourishing young people but is treated as an afterthought and the results are pretty gross. In France, food is seen as part of their education, so eating lunch is given major a level of respect as a way to teach kids how they’ll eat well for the rest of their lives. This is one of the many fantastic examples that Moore finds in each country.
Moore isn’t focused on shaming America though: he’s interested in showing how fantastic these other countries are when in action.
The root of all of these problems comes from the mismanagement of money, the greed of for-profit schools and public buildings such as prisons, and more that many moderately-educated viewers will know about. Moore isn’t focused on shaming America though: he’s interested in showing how fantastic these other countries are when in action. Of course, any documentary has the tendency to be biased and with Where To Invade Next running at only 110 minutes, Moore must paint countries with broader strokes. However, he does a great job of making sure any skepticism is answered. For example, after highlighting one particular school or prison, he often will show a second more extreme example that confirms the point he is making. Moore is a polarizing character, but he’s a master of the craft. He knows how to make his points, funny or serious, using the tools at his disposal.
It’s been a fantastic year for documentary, in large part due to the number of working documentary filmmakers who have new material this year: Alex Gibney (Going Clear and Steve Jobs), Kirby Dick (The Hunting Ground), Davis Guggenheim (Malala) and Moore, among others. Each of these prolific directors has a signature style which they don’t stray far from, but in every case it works to their personality and subject matter. All are in contention for the Best Documentary Oscar. While Michael Moore’s latest isn’t particularly topical compared to some of his other work, it invites Americans to recognize that perhaps we need to look at other countries as models for how to improve our current system. His final revelation not only is fascinating but ties the whole film together. For any American interested in the future of our country, look to this film as a guide to some positive possible directions.
Where To Invade Next opens at ArcLight Hollywood on December 23rd with a national release February 12, 2016. Rated R for language, some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity.
