Michael Moore is quite possibly the most polarizing filmmaker in history. Like Howard Stern or Larry Flint, he has incredibly harsh critics and equally vehement defenders. Ironically, Michael Moore is one of the few people I don’t have a strong opinion about. I could write a thousand words on my impression of bean bag chairs or G. Gordon Liddy, but the chubby documentarian barely inspires me to defend or chastise him. Shockingly, the United States government seems to feel a little stronger than I do, and they made their claims of moral turpitude abundantly clear this week.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, on May 2nd, Michael Moore received a letter from the United States Treasury Department. The piece of mail notified him that he was under investigation for traveling to Cuba with a group of 9/11 rescue workers to film a segment for his new film, Sicko. The Cuban embargo is a little hazy, but basically, you’re not allowed to spend any money in or on Cuban goods. That’s why sneaking their glorious cigars inside the bottom of your golf clubs after a cruise to Jamaica is such a dicey proposition, albeit a tasty smoke-filled one.
It’s unlikely that Michael Moore will be tortured or even incarcerated, but in a publicity attempt, he has arranged for a copy of Sicko to be hidden outside U.S. jurisdiction, just in case. He’s like a portly, rogue James Bond. The healthcare exposé is scheduled to premiere at Cannes on May 19th. I would be shocked if any of this litigation interfered. Look for the entire unedited film to appear at your local cinema on June 29th.
