The title of this "film" accurately describes how I felt about it only a few minutes in. It is dangerous and irresponsible, more concerned with furthering a liberal political agenda than taking a genuine look at the issues it tries to raise.
The "film's" first issue of business is to fully dismiss the concept of personal responsibility when it comes to health and fitness. They have so-called experts flat-out saying that the idea of eating less and exercising more to lose weight is ridiculous. What do they suggest, I wonder? Eating more and exercising less?
They act as if every point they make is some groundbreaking discovery they have made. Some foods are healthier than others? Too much sugar can be bad for you? Wow. I had no idea.
Predictably, it all leads up to an attempt to vilify food companies for trying to sell their products. They are compared to cigarette manufacturers and all but given sinister handlebar moustaches to twirl. One of the interview subjects involved in this pile on is, unsurprisingly, the self-righteous and self-appointed King of Nanny State proponents, Michael Bloomberg.
At the end of the "film", a list is provided of all the corporations and individuals who declined to be interviewed in an obvious attempt to shame them. I think they were wise not to grant interviews to filmmakers with such a transparent agenda. One of the few people with a differing viewpoint who did allow himself to be interviewed got screwed over by editing. When he's asked a question, the filmmakers delight in showing him spend a few seconds trying to find the words to answer it with. Quite tellingly, they cut away before his actual answer. Why, I wonder? Did he make a point they found themselves unable to refute? I'm sure that some of the other interview subjects who were well behaved and toed the party line stumbled over their words once or twice, too, but those moments were conveniently left on the cutting room floor.
This blatantly manipulative, foolish hatchet job has nothing whatsoever to recommend it. From the questionable statistics to Katie Couric's condescending voiceover that sounds like she's talking to a two-year-old (say goodbye to any journalistic integrity you had left, by the way), it is absolutely terrible from start to finish. Using my Movie Pass, I got to see it for free, so the money for the ticket didn't come out of my pocket, but from the Pass. Still, I sincerely regret that my buying a ticket resulted in the filmmakers getting a single cent in profits.
As soon as it was over, I went to the Amish market next door and bought a cookies and cream donut just to spite them.
No comments:
Post a Comment