MMT Quick Review: ‘Where to Invade Next’

Happy Friday MMT Fam! This may actually be the first time we have “three” reviews posted on the same weekend – check the awesome ones for both DEADPOOL and ZOOLANDER by Darryl King! At the end of last year, I had the pleasure of attending the 24th annual Philadelphia Film Festival’s closing night ceremony, where Michael Moore’s latest film WHERE TO INVADE NEXT made its Philly première. I also had the chance to interview Mr. Moore on the red-carpet, and sit in on his Q & A after the film screening – see my Examiner article regarding the latter here.

“Where to Invade Next” is Moore’s first film in six years and possibly his most daring to date. In the documentary, Moore fictitiously “invades” other countries, including France, Italy, Slovania, and Portugal, to see what best practices they have to offer and claim them as “American” to implement back home.

In typical Moore fashion, the doc infuses humor with topic awareness and dares to rebuff the status quo of the American government. Remarkably, Moore’s latest film highlights how some of the best practices that other countries have to offer are actually based on what we would consider to be American principles – but in many instances they have excelled at putting them to practice.

On the red-carpet, I asked Michael Moore why he chose this area of focus after a six-year hiatus. Moore explained,

“This is an antidote to American exceptionalism. This whole concept of  (America) being number one. So this movie helps people deal with it in (an easier) way. You know “a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.”

Now most people fall into one or two camps where Moore is concerned – love him or hate him – so understandably this documentary will not be everyone’s cup of tea. I’m certainly a member of the former – I even had my copy of “Sicko” ready for him to sign if possible, and it wasn’t! 

In my Examiner piece I noted an exchange between Moore and an audience member – who I later discovered was “Friday Night Lights” author, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Philly local Buzz Bissinger – at the Q & A which was a bit heated in display, but ended with Moore offering to research a Tunisian legal case  Mr. Bissinger mentioned and add the findings to his website.

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT opens nationwide today. You can watch the trailer below and get additional information at the official website here.

I would really love to know what you think about this one family – whether you like the documentary, agree with some of the discourse or not. So make sure to leave a comment or two in the comments section when you see the film!

Until next thought, Thomasena