Moore turns up the heat with 'Fahrenheit'

The problem with reviewing "Fahrenheit 9/11" (or any Michael Moore film, for that matter) is coming to grips with what one is actually critiquing. Am I here to hold accountable the journalistic architecture of Moore's rhetoric? Am I supposed to tell you if what he says is true? Am I supposed to decide if he is being mean or unfair to an onscreen subject who has no opportunity to reply? \nOn all counts, absolutely not. This is the predicament of the cultural phenomenon that is Moore. It's entertainment, not a public service announcement. It's not the nightly news, it's a damn movie … and I'm here to give you a movie review. \nSo let me just say this before we go any further: documentaries have no responsibility to be unbiased or fair. None. And despite what you may think, few ever are. That's not what they are there to do. There, I said it. Let's move on.\nIn case you haven't heard, Moore doesn't like George W. Bush. Moore really, really doesn't like Bush. Moore thinks Bush and his administration have suckered and manipulated the American people into a horrific and immoral war. "Fahrenheit 9/11" is his cinematic cry for help.\nWhat you have to understand about Moore's film is that it isn't trying to convict President Bush in front of a grand jury. "Fahrenheit 9/11" is simply a resounding scream to the people of a nation who have earned a reputation for being unaware, uninspired, uninvolved and uninformed. The latter of those four, I would argue "Fahrenheit" is not really trying to remedy. It is the first three -- unaware, uninspired and uninvolved -- that it is trying to do something about. And from that perspective, measured against those goals, "Fahrenheit 9/11" is a stunning success.\nMoore's film is biased as hell. I would never sit down and argue otherwise. However, walking out of that sold-out show, pouring out into the dark parking lot with the herds of stunned viewers, I couldn't help but believe that no matter what each person thought of Moore's argument, they were thinking about the world right then. They were going to get in their cars and talk about it. They were going to go home to their friends and talk about it. Hundreds and hundreds at each show. Thousands of shows across the county. \nSo say what you want about Michael Moore. He is an expert provoker who's made a disquieting and important film. Love him or hate him, he and his film are exactly what this country needs right now.