Time for another Michael Moore documentary. Time for more public domain filmstrips, more depressing stories of the working class, and more beating of the dead horse known as Flint, Michigan. In the past this formula has worked, and worked well enough to garner Moore fame at the forefront of documentarians (at least of the commercial documentarians). However, with Capitalism: A Love Story, even hitting all of his major arcs, the foolproof equation doesn’t add up.

The main flaw is the film’s lack of a villain. Yes, even in documentaries, as much as they are meant to be impartial, unbiased, and level, there is usually a person, or group, or faction that draws the ire of the audience. In Sicko it was the healthcare system; in Fahrenheit 9/11 it was Bush and his cronies; and in Bowling for Columbine it was the gun industry. Whether or not one agrees with Moore’s stances, he has a clear target, and more specifically, precise individuals he can attack.

But with capitalism – the system, not the movie - it is much more difficult to find that villain. One can’t walk down the street and point out capitalism. There aren’t capitalism conventions to barge in on, or capitalism paperwork to dig up and pore over for breaches of trust; there isn’t a president of capitalism to hold accountable. It is more an ideology than an act, a way of life that is ingrained in all us from the time we begin learning about economics in Social Studies class. We are all at fault for what has happened; not to say that the situation today is entirely due to capitalism, or at all, but that we should accept a shared blame.

Even Moore has trouble defining “capitalism”, relying on religious patricians to say it is wrong without providing any real reasons. Floating in ambiguity and ignorance, capitalism is then equated with greed, especially corporate greed. Aha, now there is a villain we can all sink our teeth into, for who hasn’t at one point or another disliked his/her job? This makes for a very easy target. Cue the stories of companies screwing over employees, breaking up unions, and making the bottom line more important than the human line. While nearly universally true for all corporations, it is a stretch to say it is all because of capitalism.

And don’t forget to cue a Moore trademarked stunt at the end of the film; something shocking that shows he really does go out there to make a difference. He’s not one to sit behind the camera and/or the editing machine and let the others do the real legwork. But his stunt falls flat; it’s been done before, and at a much more poignant time. Where was Moore’s information when we needed it? Now it’s too late; the damage has been done.

Of course, everything is better in Europe, another trait of a Moore film. And that is exactly what Capitalism felt like: a film, not a documentary. It was disjointed and stuttering to gather momentum. It lacked flow and information – the driving point behind a documentary. But here’s hoping for change. Just because Capitalism wasn’t perfect doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem. And although heavily criticized and disputed, there does exist a healthcare reform initiative; don’t let anyone ever say documentaries can’t make a difference.