When I took a seat at Cinemapolis’ cozy movie theater, I was unsure what to expect from the new Michael Moore movie Where to Invade Next. I had gone at the request of a friend of mine, a staunch social democrat who went to solidify his liberal views. As a political moderate, I felt slightly out of place when I surveyed the audience largely composed of retirees who appeared to be members of the thriving Ithacan hippie movement. As the lights dimmed and the accompanying ads showcased the unconventional attitude of this selection, I knew that I was in for quite the cinematographic experience.
When considering whether or not to attend this movie, it’s really important to know who Michael Moore is. Moore is the director behind cult classics such as Roger and Me, which documents the deterioration of Flint, Michigan after the move of GM’s factory. In one notable part of that film, Flint resident Rhonda Britton is shown selling rabbits as “Pets or Meat” to feed her family. He also directed the hysterical Canadian Bacon, in which America invades Canada as part of a president’s futile attempt to gain popularity. Moore is satirical, supremely leftist, and never afraid to speak his mind. Where to Invade Next is no exception to these rules.
The format of the movie is quite intriguing. Almost immediately, after an overacted, low-budget introduction where Moore himself takes the place of the entire U.S. Armed Forces and is sent to personally invade other nations, he is shown traveling Europe, learning about the various social policies enacted by progressive governments (all the while lamenting about how much better America would be if it were more like Europe). After obligatorily planting the American flag into the ground after 10 to 20 minutes of exploring a nation, he moves on to the next country, cheerful and brimming with socialist pride.
As is the norm with Moore, the movie was certainly nutty. He repeatedly tries to coerce French schoolchildren to drink Coke alongside their gourmet school lunches to observe their reactions and self-restraint (failing to get even one to try it) and secures an interview with the Prime Minister of Slovenia (or as he wrongly calls it, Slovakia) in which he tries to convince the man to surrender to America—or at least to let America appropriate the concept of universal free education as its own original idea.
But in reality, Where to Invade Next truly is a documentary. Moore spent far more time providing substantial evidence to support his claims than joking, controversially interviewing the very people responsible for reforms like Drug Decriminalization in Portugal as well as those affected by reforms, like students learning about the Holocaust in Germany. I personally found the film to be very informative, while Moore’s socialist humor was just an added creative touch to make it more characteristic of his previous works.
What I liked about the movie was its simplicity and ability to both criticize American social policy and provide an optimistic light about America’s potential. When exploring topics ranging from the quality of life of Italian workers to feminism’s benefits in the Icelandic economy, Moore manages to bring light to the issues by utilizing quirky humor and ridiculous clips of American politics (like Rick Perry saying that abstinence was a good philosophy because he had successfully practiced it himself) and by contrasting the progressive and surprisingly pragmatic viewpoints of European nations with our own conservative and outdated ones. Moore always brought it back to America, showing how reforms of education, labor and domestic policy could easily be implemented and provide great advantages to our already robust economy, countering opposition arguments with wit and ease.
There is still plenty to dislike about Where to Invade Next, however. Firstly, it is largely misleading, portrayed as a true comedic mockumentary in advertising while being far more fact-based and less humorous than I or other audience members expected. Secondly, it seemed a bit too lengthy. Despite clocking in at just shy of two hours, there was a distinct point at which the repetitive “invasion” format became dry and old, not providing the same charm as for the first nations covered. Lastly, the movie is extremely biased and one-sided. It outrageously only covers examples of European exceptionalism, forgetting that America is superior in its diversity, population, and thinking. I found myself annoyed about this one-sidedness, wishing in vain for Moore to at least once convey America’s greatness.
Overall, Where to Invade Next was really an experience like no other. This movie manages to single-handedly dispel the notion of political correctness in the left, and I found myself appreciating that. It was fun to experience a somewhat contrasting viewpoint from my own, while finding myself in agreement with many socialist European concepts. If you wish to experience a new viewpoint on social policy, or even just solidify your love or hatred for liberalism, then I strongly recommend that you see this movie.