Capitalism Is Moore at His Messy Best

Filmmaker's 'magnum opus' sticks up for the little guy

(NEWSER) - Michael Moore’s latest film, Capitalism: A Love Story, which had its debut last night at the Venice Film Festival, isn't likely to match the “political impact” of Fahrenheit 9/11, but you might still call it his “magnum opus: the grandest statement of his career-long belief that big business is screwing the hard-working little guy while government connives in the atrocity,” writes Mary Corliss in Time. A series of “instructive and appalling” anecdotes make his point. More»

Morgan Spurlock helms documentary on advertising

(NEWSER) - Morgan Spurlock, the guy behind Super Size Me, calls his latest documentary—an exploration of our ad-obsessed culture—The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. And critics seem to agree:

• Spurlock “has this habit of making documentaries that come hidden in the Trojan horse of silly and then stab at your conscience,” writes Peter Travers in Rolling Stone . “As ever, he makes you laugh till it hurts.”

Donna Gianell bounced from Citigroup trial

(NEWSER) - A juror found herself bounced from a Citigroup-EMI fraud trial after her connections to liberal filmmaker Michael Moore emerged. Citigroup lawyers played a clip from Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story in court showing juror Donna Gianell’s name in the credits, then asked Judge Jed Rakoff to dismiss her. Rakoff, however, technically dismissed Gianell after he learned she was trying to discuss the case with fellow jurors—a big no-no. More»

Yael Hersonski takes on Das Ghetto

(NEWSER) - A stunning new documentary goes into limited release today, taking a different and absorbing look at the Holocaust. Dubbed A Film Unfinished, the piece, from Israeli director Yael Hersonski, revolves around a never-completed German propaganda film called “Das Ghetto.” Shot in 1942, the silent film contrasted Jews living in luxury in the Warsaw ghetto, with the poor ones in the street. For years, it was seen as flawed but authentic—until new footage uncovered in 1998 revealed that all the scenes showing privileged Jews were staged. More»

Documentary follows four infants in four countries

(NEWSER) - Critics are generally won over by Babies, a documentary that follows four infants' first years in San Francisco, Mongolia, Tokyo, and Namibia. Some samples:

• Wesley Morris, Boston Globe : "As an advertisement for the wonders of figuring out how to be alive, the movie is an engaging proposition."
• Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times : "The 'awww' without the 'shock' definitely makes Babies a very huggable movie experience, just not a primer on parenthood."