Robert McKee’s WORKS / DOESN’T WORK Film Review:
Where To Invade Next (2015) | By Michael Moore
McKee Says: It Works (Spoiler Alert!)
A Must-See for All Documentary Filmmakers:
Michael Moore uses a rhetorical rather than storified form to structure this documentary and the pay off is very powerful. To build his case, Moore uses examples of the best of European culture – education, nutrition, their penal system, and the quality of their working lives – and compares them to USA’s weakest counterparts. Point by point, country by country, issue by issue, he presents a riveting essay on the sad state of US culture. He slants his argument, no doubt, but that’s the fair game in rhetoric, and by the end of the film, he wins his case.
The Need for Female Leadership:
One theme runs throughout his examples: To create a nurturing rather than combative society, women must take leadership positions alongside men in all sectors of the society. He’s right and we all know it.
One Awkward Stylistic Choice Detracts from the Total Effect:
To unify his essay, Moore uses rather a lame metaphor: In each country he visits he plants an American flag to symbolize his invasion and theft of their ideas. It’s meant to be amusing and ironic, but it distracts from an otherwise elegant documentary.