Michael Moore in TrumpLand

Michael Moore in Trumpland (2015)

** (out of 4)

Even though I rarely agree with Michael Moore, I do enjoy his pictures. As much as I would love to debate him myself, there's no question that he is a talented filmmaker and on that level alone I will respect him even if I don't respect what he often does with his movies.

With that said, MICHAEL MOORE IN TRUMPLAND is without question his least entertaining film. This really isn't a film but instead Moore held what's basically a stand-up act in Ohio where he brought Trump and Clinton supporters together to talk with them. The majority of the rather short running time is baslcally Moore talking about why Clinton should get your vote.

My problem with this film is that it just seems rushed and it certainly doesn't have the quality of Moore's previous pictures. Just check out how nervous Moore seems at the start of this chat. Just listen to how awful his jokes are. He's certainly not a comedian and some of the jokes told are just beyond awful. Even his speech about Clinton isn't nearly as good as you'd expect from him.

The only time that his passion really comes to life is when he's talking about the people who have died due to not having medical coverage. Had the entire film been more of him talking in a serious manor like this then perhaps the film would have had more of an impact. As it stands, it's pretty much the worst film of his career and looks even sillier considering what happened at election time.

Treasonist. Not in all of history has a traitor or a treazonist been hailed as a hero? Sorry Anonymous, with your Guy Fawkes masks, Guy Fawkes Day is actually a celebration of the King's survival against the attack. Which considering your atheism is a paradox, since it was a religious act of terror, a Catholic assault on Anglicanism. But who cares what a liberal or progressive thinks. You really don't think too much. But really? When in history has a traitor or treazonist been hailed as a hero? Never. Stalin is despised by those who lived under Soviet Rule. 50 million dead. Che Guevara is despised in his birth place of Argentina. They destroy every attempt to resurrect his name in honour. Mao killed 100 million of his Komarades. All your heroes are traitors and treazonists. And what does that make you? A hero? No. Try coward on for size. I suspect that will fit.

This is Michael Moore at his very best—very thoughtful and penetrating, and hardworkingly committed to fostering understanding of some of our fundamental political challenges.

I felt he did an excellent job of presenting the view that Trump's rise on the national political scene is a warranted but ultimately very destructive reaction to the neglect and abandonment of countless Americans by our economic and social order.

"Michael Moore in TrumpLand" is full of genuine humanity and surprisingly gentle humor.

I'm doubtful Moore's efforts in making this film stand much chance of having an impact on the electoral outcome, but I still think it's great that he has given us an offering of such quality.

I must say on an anecdotal note that upon being re-exposed to typical TV coverage of the election after having left a screening of this movie, I felt as though I'd gone from a sane place to a place of true barbarity. (I was really, truly surprised to find how super-barbaric what has grown all-too-familiar of late suddenly seemed.)

In the mids of the race to the bottom in the unfolding of this election campaign this statement sure is a breath of fresh air. You may not, and do not have to agree with Michael Moore's viewpoints to see that he does manage to get some historical and future perpectives, a sense of common ground and good humor in the room. Polarisation is such a horrendous side-effect of (bad) election campaigns and defusing it in the heat of the moment is very, very tricky. With commentary from the mainstream media at kindergarten level we need Michaels kind of clowning to ridicule the court and help tie odds and options together. Clever and entertaining. But by all means, don't take his word for it...make up your own mind!

It is hard to believe that once upon a time, the Presidency belonged to the Republicans. Apart from the isolated one term victory by Jimmy Carter, the Democrats were regarded as a basket case when selecting Presidential candidates and had to make do with victories for the Congress. Bill Clinton broke this mould and showed that a centrist Democratic party could dominate Presidential elections, heck even Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000 but narrowly lost the electoral college.

Michael Moore in TrumpLand is less of a movie and more of a monologue with some jokes. Polemicist Michael Moore takes centre stage in the Ohio town of Wilmington, in Clinton County where polls indicate huge support for Donald Trump.

This was filmed just recently and released a few weeks before election day. Moore understands why people might vote for Trump. Those who have lost jobs to foreign competition, maybe lost their homes and even their marriage broken up as a result.

Of course once you cast your vote for Trump out of anger it could be too late just in the Brexit vote in the UK in 2016.

The film is not really a hatchet job on Trump. I think it should had been. This multimillionaire son of a multimillionaire property developer which his swanky apartment buildings, luxury yachts, model turned wives and all types if glittering jewels suddenly tells the ordinary working Americans he understands their pain when all along he complains of having to pay minimum wage to his staff, buys foreign steel for his buildings, stiffs his suppliers and uses creative accountancy to avoid paying taxes for years.

Instead it is a defence for Hillary Clinton, a woman pilloried for 25 years ever since her husband Bill ran for the White House as a centrist, moderate Democrat.

Moore admits he has never voted for the Clintons but he admires Hillary for her knowledge, tenacity and courage to put up with all the flak thrown at her. Moore hopes that once elected Hillary might turn out to be more radical.

I guess Trump supporters will hate this film as so will those who have never liked Moore. At least he takes a refreshing take on Hillary, a woman who has to subdue her radical edge just to be accepted by the establishment and the media.