Movie Reviews

I don't think I've ever seen a movie made with such a singular purpose. Michael Moore wants George W. Bush out of the White House, and he's created Fahrenheit 9/11 as a means to that end. I'm not sure if his film is going to make much of a difference, for the simple reason that those who are already anti-Bush don't need to be swayed, and those who are pro-Bush are most likely anti-Moore, and are likely to dismiss Fahrenheit 9/11 as a manipulative piece of propaganda.

But then again, maybe that's too simplistic an assumption, and maybe there are a fair number of fence-sitting Bush-sceptics who may be swayed by what Moore has to say. Nevertheless, regardless of whether or not Moore's film is instrumental in affecting the outcome of the November election, it's still a fascinating look at the current American administration and its ties to a wealthy Saudi Arabian family that includes Osama bin Laden. I'm not going to try to recap any of the facts presented in the film, mainly because there's simply a overwhelmingly vast number of them, but there are at least a few of them that'll make you go "Hmm..." (although if you've read Michael Moore's last couple of books, especially the more recent "Dude, Where's My Country", you've likely already heard a number of his allegations, many of which are reiterated in the film).

Though Fahrenheit 9/11 is amazingly single-purposed and entertaining, I sort of wish it was a little more single-minded and focused. In his effort to denounce Dubya, Moore moves very quickly across a number of topics, and I sometimes found myself wishing he'd take more time with a few of the more interesting points -- namely, the financial and familial connections between the Bush and bin Laden families (so many names and facts are thrown at you in such a short time that it's difficult to grasp them all), and the disaster that has been the search for "Weapons of Mass Destruction" in Iraq.

Still, I think this is an important film, and Michael Moore is an important filmmaker. Some would argue that his films fail to acknowledge opposing points of view, and, though I wouldn't necessarily disagree, I'd welcome the opportunity to see a film that attempts to debunk every one of Moore's claim. I don't think it'd happen.