Where to Invade Next

What if the United States invaded other countries not in order to control people, but to learn from them?! Moore, in a mostly positive yet still humorous, sarcastic and witty bent, leads the charge into other countries. He liberates many brilliant and counter-intuitive strategies for success. It is shocking, even to people who think they know these strategies already.

The invasion of Italy comes first. Here we see that the clash between the company and the well-being of its employees, in pay, vacation, family health and more, is a total fallacy. Kids in Finland have no standardized tests, no private schools and even no homework. Kids are treated with respect, like adults really, and have more time to play and be kids. And yet Finland is no slouch when it comes to education and in fact they lead the world here. In France kids are provided with healthy school lunches that we consider gourmet, yet for the French it is just a decent meal. Germany and its companies support a strong middle class by providing all workers with great pay and lots of vacation time. This is so even with less hours worked per week. Companies even encourage unions and furnish employees with spas. "If you give workers power," says a company leader "it is better for everyone."

Slovenia, among other countries, provides free college to everyone, even foreigners. Slovenian officials were at the theater handing out applications. No one is penalized for using drugs in Portugal, and the country is not drowning in anarchy or crime. Women have equal rights in Tunisia. Prisoners in Norway have their own cabins and lawn chairs in the sunlight. They cook their own meals and are free to roam around with barely any security personnel present. Even in the country's maximum security prison there are open rooms. Moore contrasted this with videos of U.S. prison beatings and other harsh treatments. What if the Lehman Brothers were the Lehman Sisters?! Iceland shows us how this might play out.

Moore offered little to counter his ideas, yet we hear too much about such counter points already. The mainstream media, said Moore, is adept at showing us how bad the world is. He thinks this can be fixed. These ideas from other countries are not just good, they are already in use. And they are not just in use, they allow other countries to excel and lead the world. Many of these ideas are American ideas, but out of fear or ignorance they are not used in America. All Americans should see this. Four and a half of five stars. World premiere seen at the Toronto International Film Festival 2015.

We Americans have a lot to learn from other cultures. Most Americans think they are "the best" in the world - IN EVERYTHING - AND THAT'S UTTER NONSENSE! It's a form of social control used by various elites to keep the average American from knowing what is possible with the great wealth and power our country has accumulated. We have been brainwashed into taking crumbs and believing that's all we deserve from our society.

We are also deliberately kept ignorant about the rest of the world and how much better many countries treat their citizens - since our school systems pretend that most of the world outside of Mexico, Canada and a few large countries in Europe and Asia - simply doesn't exist. It outrageous. We are such fools!

I'm an extremely well-informed person and I didn't even know about half of what Michael Moore mentioned in his film! I can only imagine all the dunderheads out there who have never even heard the names of some of the countries mentioned in Where To Invade Next! Be curious about the rest of the world. It has a lot to teach us!

This is one of Michael Moore's best documentaries. It tackles many of the issues that are relevant in America's current socio-political climate (healthcare, paid leave, education, mass incarceration, drugs) but without the usual flashy, confrontational gimmicks that we have come to associate with Michael Moore. Instead, he simply takes us on a learning tour to other countries that have come up with wildly successful solutions to these issues. We have all these prime examples of programs that actually work, yet somehow, here in America, socialism is still a dirty word, so we insist on more of the same failed policies despite all the data proving otherwise because we refuse to accept that somebody other than America got it right. If you're like me (brimming with cynicism in the abyss of absolute hopelessness for this country), it's at least nice to be reminded of what is possible.

There are many words one might use to describe filmmaker/documentarian Michael Moore and 'preachy' might just be one of them. His films, Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, Sicko…were all highly entertaining and even educational for the peripherally blind. But Moore had lost his fun side. There were moments of levity in each of his films but the humor on display in his first feature Roger & Me had been replaced with a political or prejudice view Moore hoped to express.

Moore's latest documentary, Where To Invade Next takes us back to the fun and wit that made his earlier work so refreshingly entertaining. In this his eighth feature documentary (but first in six years), Moore travels to Europe where he visits countries that seem to have captured the American dream of a work/life balance. We travel with Moore to Germany where we find small companies who pay big wages, to Italy where employees are given more weeks annual vacation than an American can hope for over a five year period and to Slovenia which offers free university tuition. Moore then presents a mock 'invasion' of the country which is presented in a hilarious tongue-in-cheek style of filmmaking.

The presentation does not feel preachy nor does it appear anti-American. Instead, Moore is able to casually walk the line of presenting lifestyles, politics and privileges in other countries that American's dream of or have tied up in political limbo. That's not to suggest that Moore doesn't show the underbelly of the giant. The European way of life may not be sustainable in the long term due to the expense of the support. And Europe is still not without its issues to which Moore is quick to point out to rousing audiences.

A tad overlong at 2 hours, Where to Invade Next is arguably Michael Moore's most enjoyable film. We are not looking at the ravages of the auto industry on Flint Michigan or how sick individuals are denied health care. Here, we take a jovial look at the things that look like a shopping bag of perfect put into a soggy paper bag about to collapse. Moore has an energy and an enthusiasm here that he hasn't shown in years and the results had the audience at the Toronto International Film Festival up off their seats in lauding applause at the conclusion of the screening.

http://theintestinalfortitude.com/

Anyone one voted under a 7 did so out of a bias anger..What this movie shows it how The USA attitude of were are the greatest county in the world just isn't true anymore.The basic things..Diet,education,Health Care..The Justice system has all failed in the USA.We simply do not have the best of any of these things anymore...I don't understand how this movie is sailing in under the radar with out much publicity..I was alone in the theater when I saw it,that is no one else was there..it was empty.I thought I might get bored but found myself amazed by what I was seeing.I wanted to run out and tell everyone what I just saw.I would like to make this point I work at a USA college admissions office..Once in awhile someone would come in saying they had a college degree in another county could they transfer any of it here..it was always met with a resounding "no"..I asked why..do they have less elements on their periodic table? it made no sense and seemed to boil down to not spending money here in the USA..I had the privilege of going to a small catholic grade school where little old Italian ladies made us lunch everyday..So I always ate well..somehow in the years since that went away...who knows why..