• Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      6 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      6 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      6 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      6 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      6 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      6 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      6 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      7 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      6 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      6 years ago
Movie Mezzanine
  • Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      6 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      6 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      6 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      6 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      6 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      6 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      6 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      7 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      6 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      6 years ago
  • Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      6 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      6 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      6 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      6 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      6 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      6 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      6 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      7 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      6 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      6 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      6 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      6 years ago
Looking for Solutions <br>in “Where to Invade Next”
  • Reviews / Theatrical

Looking for Solutions
in “Where to Invade Next”

  • by Odie Henderson
  • December 22, 2015
  • 1
  • 3444

Note. This review was originally published as part of our New York Film Festival 2015 coverage.

Just the mention of Michael Moore is enough to send some viewers into spasms of protest. The Oscar-winning documentarian has a history of provoking the right side of the political aisle with films like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine. Moore has incurred both derision and cheers by tackling subjects such as gun control, war, the health care system, unemployment, and poverty. His tactics can be somewhat questionable, even for those of us who share his views, but they mark him as a talented provocateur who skillfully pushes lots of buttons.

Moore’s latest film, Where to Invade Next, inspired numerous bouts of applause at its New York Film Festival premiere. Detractors will point out that this lefty audience was the perfect choir to be preached to, and I’d agree to a fault. But this film can’t be as easily written off as propaganda. For starters, it’s not at all the expose on military maneuvers its title suggests. The invasions alluded to are all figurative, non-violent visitations to other countries by the director. Additionally, this is a kinder, gentler Michael Moore, curiously optimistic and relatively subdued. Rather than point fingers, the film instead opts to explore potential solutions for the problems it discusses. For folks like me who love trouble, this is mildly disappointing. But by no means is Where to Invade Next a bad nor ineffective movie.

Moore’s primary conceit is admittedly a bit cutesy: He travels to other countries to investigate how they handle important issues like health care, incarceration, education, financial scandals, women’s rights, and workplace perks such as vacation and maternity leave. After a thorough explanation of the issue, Moore “claims” the idea as something to bring back to America to implement. He leaves American flags with the people he interviews, including the president of Slovenia (“not Slovakia”, Moore’s narration reminds us) and the former President of Iceland, who happened to be the first female President in Europe.

Moore’s journey takes him to France, where he compares their fancy, chef-cooked school lunches with the familiar sloppy joe and hot dogs American students are used to eating (or in my case, avoiding like the plague). In Italy, he looks at the perks workers are given, including 8 weeks of vacation, extended maternity leave, and long lunch hours. In Germany, he explores how the boards of companies like Volkswagen have regular workers on their boards in addition to the big shots. (Those regular workers at Volkswagen helped expose its current emission scandal.)

The most potentially controversial element of Moore’s film is the section on the prison system in Norway. Their maximum security prisons may seem a little too country club-like for some viewers’ comfort.  The orientation video for prisoners provides the film’s biggest laugh by revealing an unexpected tie to Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. The prison system’s focus on “rehabilitation rather than revenge” shows an unusual take on dealing with criminals; they have a much freer rein than even the most petty criminals here in America.

The key takeaway of Where to Invade Next is that, in places where women had equal rights and equal pay, society as a whole benefitted. The Icelandic portion of the film introduces several fascinating women who talk about how the female population obtained change by going on strike. Moore’s visit to Tunisia also shines a spotlight on women’s rights in that country.

The film’s narrow focus on one element per country initially gives it a  “grass is always greener on the other side” vibe. It’s only in the closing moments that we realize that the international success stories Moore is “claiming” in his invasion have a surprising tie to America. Where to Invade Next is less about political blame and more about re-implementing ideas that were originally American. For a lecture, it’s pretty entertaining and informative.

Tags
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related posts

  • KenjiF
3
“Anomalisa” Is A Genuinely Enlivening Work of Art

“Anomalisa” Is A Genuinely Enlivening Work of Art

7 years ago
  • JakeCole
14
Back to Basics in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

Back to Basics in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

7 years ago
  • Tomris Laffly
5
David O. Russell’s Fulfilling “Joy”

David O. Russell’s Fulfilling “Joy”

7 years ago

Comments are closed.

About Us

Movie Mezzanine is an online publication dedicated to covering the medium that connects us all, one film at a time. With writers stationed around the globe, we offer a uniquely diverse perspective on cinema, both old and new. To learn more about us, go here.

Spotlight

Putting the Geek to the Plow

Cleantalk Pixel