The Big One

The movie is frequently reminiscent of Letterman, visiting corporate headquarters with silly stunts - there's no way for the victims to win; even when they play along, as Phil Knight tries to, there's no room for rational argument. Moore is pretty engaging and energetic, but it soon becomes apparent that his movie has little ambition other than to string together such diverting moments and to hammer away at the main anti-downsizing theme. Astonishing that everyone makes the opposing case so poorly - it's a walk over; an overwhelming victory for the Forces Of Good. But Moore doesn't address the broader revolutions that would be required to make his ideas stick - the corporate heads are surely culpable, but if they didn't play along they'd be fired: it's investment-obsessed America (Beardstown Ladies and all) that keeps this crazy cycle going. Moore has a great gift for getting into the middle of activity and is a great raconteur, but for someone so relentlessly pure on hammering at the same anti-capitalist drum he leaves his own success conspicuously unexamined. The ragbag style is always entertaining though and the film has an appealing zippy pace - reservations aside, the uncertain encounter with Knight makes for a good climax.