Manufacturing Dissent: The fact, fiction and myths surrounding Michael Moore.

For some time now I've been fed up with Michael Moore's propagandistic methodology, illiterate distinction between politics and entertainment and the smugness which enmeshes just about everything he does.

And this is from a guy from wants to see Bush go as much as the next "liberal".

So when this documentary came along I immediately knew I had to see it, if for nothing else then to get a glimpse into machinations of Moore's controversial style.

I had seen the conservative rebuttal to Fahrenheit 9/11, aptly titled "FahrenHYPE 9/11" last year, and thought it to be just as partisan, ridiculously one-sided and unconscious as the film it purported to put on trial.

Manufacturing Dissent is a documentary made by Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine, two Canadian flimmakers who are selfproclaimed liberals in sentiment and were fans of Moore before they set out to make this movie. Which is why it never turns into a vitriolic ballad about AMERICA or whether or not Michael Moore hates it (sic).

The film is about his techniques and somewhat hypocritical ethics in documentarianism,  not about whether or not The Iraq war is right, or any of the issues Moore tackles. Through a series of interviews with people who worked with him, former interviewees and his own base, intercut with the filmmakers' quest to land a sit down with the man himself, we're treated to the most even-handed documentary on Moore thus far.

While not as flashy or sensationalist as Moore's own work, and without the humorous voice-over that either revolts or allures people, Manufacturing Dissent is an important, and surprisingly honest film about the man who has almost claimed monopoly on championing the anti-war and anti-Bush movements, and to me, personally, it was refreshing that it didn't allign all liberals with Moore OR turned into a political apologia itself (like its antecedents).

Even though the film has a point of view, it has nuance too.

This is a movie that questions whether the end justifies the means and challenges the paradigme that says we have to either side with Michael Moore or Ann Coulter. While not a perfect film at all, it is an interesting one if you have even the slightest interest in politics or the man Michael Moore (one way or another).


btw. Debbie and Rick went on Fox News to talk about the movie but made sure to say that Moore was not the only one who took certain liberties with the truth (hint hint, nudge nudge).

You can watch the (not very enticing) trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IUU7a4wB0

And the Fox News interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sArsLCTvmn8&feature=related

And you can watch the WHOLE movie in quicksilverscreen.com