| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Michael Moore | ... | ||
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Johnny Fancelli | ... |
Himself
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Christina Fancelli | ... |
Herself
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Lorena Lardini | ... |
Herself
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Luigi Lardini | ... |
Himself
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Annarita Lardini | ... |
Herself
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Claudio Domenicali | ... |
Himself
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Salvatore Bernaducci | ... |
Himself
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Valérie Rano | ... |
Herself
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Krista Kiuru | ... |
Herself, Finnish Minister of Education
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Pasi Majasaari | ... |
Himself, High School Principal
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Anna Hart | ... |
Herself, First Grade Teacher
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Leena Liusvaara | ... |
Herself, School Principal
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Arttu Taipale | ... |
Himself, Finnish Student, year abroad in U.S.
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Meghan Smith | ... |
Herself, teacher, U.S. Native
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To show what the USA can learn from rest of the world, director Michael Moore playfully visits various nations in Europe and Africa as a one-man "invader" to take their ideas and practices for America. Whether it is Italy with its generous vacation time allotments, France with its gourmet school lunches, Germany with its industrial policy, Norway and its prison system, Tunisia and its strongly progressive women's policy, or Iceland and its strong female presence in government and business among others, Michael Moore discovers there is much that American should emulate. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
This isn't just a great documentary, it's a great film, with jaw dropping reveals and unexpected twists. By about 5 minutes into the film I was hooked and at the edge of my seat as the rest of the two hours flew by; I didn't want it to end, which is always a good sign.
To be clear, this film is not about U.S. military interventions like Fahrenheit 9/11, as I suspected, but rather an ironic look into the discordance between American values and American actions; not abroad but at home. It takes us outside our world only to look back at ourselves as if we were strangers. We get to see our values around health, education, incarceration, violence, and fairness in a new light. And, without giving too much away, the film culminates with a big twist that is marvelously compelling.
As a result, this film has stuck with me. It has been months since I first saw the film at the Chicago International Film Festival, where it won the Founder's Award, and I find myself thinking about the film at least weekly, which finally prompted me to write this short review.
I'm telling everyone I meet to see this film, and to bring their friends, kids, neighbors. Plan some time to talk afterward! I can't wait to see it again myself.