Reviewed by Melissa Garza
I never hated Michael Moore. I once thought he was very insightful though his methods of confrontation I took exception with. The most known example of this was in Bowling for Columbine when an elderly Charlton Heston was bombarded under false pretenses and accused of not caring about children killed by gunfire. When I first saw the footage years ago, I felt for Heston. God knows that had he been a few years younger he would have knocked Moore on his ass.
The more I examined Moore – even when I agreed with his politics – the more exception I took with his technique. I wasn’t alone. I had heard about Mike Wilson’s documentary for some time but anticipating a right wing Fox News inspired film, I skipped it. Since it was on Netflix instant queue – I decided to test the first five minutes. I’m happy to report that my instincts were wrong and I owe Mr. Wilson an apology for thinking that he was simply the opposite of Michael Moore. No, in fact he’s a much better person.
Wilson’s documentary is aimed at debunking Moore’s claims and showing him for the fraud that he is. Now, politically – on many issues – I side with Moore. With the exception of gun control, I am on Moore’s side in nearly every topic over Wilson’s. That said, I would like to think on a humanity level, Wilson and I are much closer than Moore and I.
Wilson is honest in his thoughts. He states in the beginning what he felt about Moore, what he thought about America and how his thoughts were much influenced by those shared by his father. Years prior his family faced a great deal when Wilson’s father, Bruce was let go. Immediately thereafter, Bruce takes his son for a drive and assures him that things will be fine and that they will persevere.
A great aspect about Wilson is that he checks himself. When he finds himself acting in a disingenuous fashion when conducting an interview (he states he has questions about the town rather than questions about Moore to ensure the person talks), he actually outs himself and asks for consent before showing the footage.
One of the most disturbing points made is that of a military officer who lost his arms in war. Moore used footage of the officer while drugged for his documentary to show how poorly America treats the wounded. This was used out of context and without the officer’s consent. He actually sued Moore but sadly was unsuccessful.
Now, I’m not happy about the war but I would never blame the soldiers. I respect them and what they do. I definitely think that the military deserves more accolades for giving up so much. That said, if an officer believes that the government is treating him justly, one should not manipulate footage to give the impression that he does not. It’s morally wrong to do so.
Overall, I was very impressed with Wilson’s first venture. I actually wish that it was more successful as I would love to see more work from him.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
