I'm not a Moore fan (though i do agree with some of his conclusions) and it was originally this and the promise of some insightful discourse on the nature of his technique that attracted me to the film. <br /><br />But as many have said... the film was completely rubbish. Aside from any previous bias, the propaganda and technique of this film was so heavy handed and basic as to be actually insulting. <br /><br />Wilson starts out with a few family photographs portrays himself as being an honest American Joe living the American dream (blind hope?) with his unemployed father and being unnecessarily distressed by Michael Moores dissenting opinion. He then goes out of his way to slander him, and put forward his own image of happy go lucky magical America in which everyone, and i paraphrase 'loves everyone around them, and is safe all the time'. <br /><br />His attack basically summated runs like this - point out obvious documentary theory (nothing in the lens is objective), point out very minor examples (and some bigger ones, but with very little back up to his claims) in which Michael Moore altered a situation to give a situation more emotional impact. On top of that he goes on a crusade to interview real America - in a town of stark unemployment that amazingly consists of only people who own businesses and intersperse with talking heads giving ludicrous commentary in an authoritative tone. <br /><br />In this entire film Wilson comes up with one original tool for propaganda- he shows himself deceiving someone (very lightly, because he isn't the bad guy here) - him and the producer then have a ridiculous moral conflict about the action - then they show Wilson realizing his mistake and apologizing to the camera. Funnily enough, as opposed to cutting the part he keeps it, with his realization - for fairly obvious reasons. <br /><br />Suspiciously all the other alterations of fact are left in tact. Every interview is chosen not as a truthful account, but as a vehicle to get across a visceral point. Suburbs are happy, filled with black loving grandma's who feel safe all the time - towns where the infrastructure is ruined are still okay because the American dream lives on in a boy who makes coffee. <br /><br />When this (perhaps psychologically based) grudge turned veiled objective turd of a film finally winds down and Wilson realizes he has actually made no points whatsoever merely rehashed 1950s corporate propaganda (Everythings Great. Futurism is here! Communism is Evil!) and an attitude so pathetically ignorant and desperate as to be laughable (In America we play hockey! That's how great and happy we are!) - he suddenly makes a sharp veer in his course and ends the film on the note of -<br /><br />There is no truth, only opinions. And my opinion that Michael Moore hates America is just as valid as Michael Moores opinion that there is an effect on the individual by corporate interest. Because after all, different opinions are what makes America great, and Michaels Moores different opinion that different opinions are wrong is why he hates America and doesn't deserve his opinion. <br /><br />Still as a sociology student i did walk away with one thing - the complexity of multi nationals, infrastructure and politically influenced neo capitalism don't cause a necessity of poverty - You just have to believe and you can achieve. Damn, someone should tell the Africans to change their lazy attitude! <br /><br />Finally - the dichotomy between 'objective' and 'subjective' documentary styles was broached upon, studied and had already been split into two very distinct schools as early as the sixties. A commentator in this film said it clearly enough " There is no such thing as an objective documentary, as soon as you point the lens you are capturing something at the expense of everything surrounding it". What everyone failed to mention was that this was widely understood and incorporated into documentary film making. Moore's style is nothing new, and at the very least - he embellishes without fabricating, and is usually cohesive. <br /><br />I actually finished the film as a Moore sympathizer.