What the world needs most: another blog entry on F 9/11!
Yeah, I saw the film. Yeah, it's really "controversial". Yeah, as with most "controversial" items, the controversy is overblown.
I really like Roger & Me, and to a lesser extent I liked Bowling for Columbine. Both have issues that make them hard to see as a straight documentary, but in the end both are entertaining and both raise questions. F 9/11... is somewhat in that same mold, but less so. Even a few weeks after seeing it, I remain quite frustrated with it. It had too many issues with bias to fit neatly inside the category of documentary for me; it did not go far enough to really hit the level of propaganda (he actually pulls some punches in the film!); it does not do a good enough job of presenting and debunking alternate viewpoints to be considered well formed piece of op-ed by me; and most seriously, it isn't as funny as his previous films! Of course, I came into this knowing most of the "shocking" facts involved so it did not have the same impact with me that it could with others.
I can't help but think with some changes, and maybe a little bit longer running time for more trademark satire, and a little bit of trying to explain the neo-con theories (which history is in the process of debunking as much as any other ism can be) that it might have been great. What's left is good, but unfortunately, not great.
As for the issues brought up by the Moore detractors, well, there really isn't much in here that can be assailed except for some questions of how he edited it together and insinuations. Fair enough, but this guy has never exactly claimed to be an unbiased observer of the American condition. Of course, many of the arguments against Moore are flat out wrong. Claiming he said that we deserved 9/11 when in fact he said that the victims did not. (the article that quote comes from is the one cited by those claiming he said we deserved it) The facts in the film are pretty much all correct. The rest is a matter of opinion.
Despite my reservations, I am very glad he was able to weave in a very very pro-America and especially pro-soldier message in the later part of the film which helps solidify that anti-war != anti-American or anti-soldier. For the record, I was on the fence in 2003... Even though I didn't like Bush, I wanted to believe so badly that he would do things properly even though it was clear that the arguments for the war were questionable to say the least and I had little rational reason to believe that they would do a decent job beyond the actual invasion. I was not exactly anti-war, and even today, I'm not anti or pro anything uniformly.
So in conclusion, good but not great. (grrr!) Next film on the docket is Anchorman (if not in the theaters then on dvd) then the Incredibles (Pixar!) and then The Life Aquatic (Wes Anderson directing Bill Murray again!).
Also saw Shrek 2, which the Republican pundits were recommending people see instead of F 9/11, and yikes, what a bland film! This is now one of the highest grossing films of all time!?!? This grossed more than Nemo!?!? Yeesh!
Anyways, back to Calculus and other stuff I should be working on.
(edited this to fix some bad grammar.. though not all of it, and fix a typo or too)
I really like Roger & Me, and to a lesser extent I liked Bowling for Columbine. Both have issues that make them hard to see as a straight documentary, but in the end both are entertaining and both raise questions. F 9/11... is somewhat in that same mold, but less so. Even a few weeks after seeing it, I remain quite frustrated with it. It had too many issues with bias to fit neatly inside the category of documentary for me; it did not go far enough to really hit the level of propaganda (he actually pulls some punches in the film!); it does not do a good enough job of presenting and debunking alternate viewpoints to be considered well formed piece of op-ed by me; and most seriously, it isn't as funny as his previous films! Of course, I came into this knowing most of the "shocking" facts involved so it did not have the same impact with me that it could with others.
I can't help but think with some changes, and maybe a little bit longer running time for more trademark satire, and a little bit of trying to explain the neo-con theories (which history is in the process of debunking as much as any other ism can be) that it might have been great. What's left is good, but unfortunately, not great.
As for the issues brought up by the Moore detractors, well, there really isn't much in here that can be assailed except for some questions of how he edited it together and insinuations. Fair enough, but this guy has never exactly claimed to be an unbiased observer of the American condition. Of course, many of the arguments against Moore are flat out wrong. Claiming he said that we deserved 9/11 when in fact he said that the victims did not. (the article that quote comes from is the one cited by those claiming he said we deserved it) The facts in the film are pretty much all correct. The rest is a matter of opinion.
Despite my reservations, I am very glad he was able to weave in a very very pro-America and especially pro-soldier message in the later part of the film which helps solidify that anti-war != anti-American or anti-soldier. For the record, I was on the fence in 2003... Even though I didn't like Bush, I wanted to believe so badly that he would do things properly even though it was clear that the arguments for the war were questionable to say the least and I had little rational reason to believe that they would do a decent job beyond the actual invasion. I was not exactly anti-war, and even today, I'm not anti or pro anything uniformly.
So in conclusion, good but not great. (grrr!) Next film on the docket is Anchorman (if not in the theaters then on dvd) then the Incredibles (Pixar!) and then The Life Aquatic (Wes Anderson directing Bill Murray again!).
Also saw Shrek 2, which the Republican pundits were recommending people see instead of F 9/11, and yikes, what a bland film! This is now one of the highest grossing films of all time!?!? This grossed more than Nemo!?!? Yeesh!
Anyways, back to Calculus and other stuff I should be working on.
(edited this to fix some bad grammar.. though not all of it, and fix a typo or too)
posted by Jim Casaburi at
12:36 AM
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