ViewGuide

Created May 11, 2010 08:00PM PST • Edited May 11, 2010 08:00PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   In my mind, Bill Maher seemed to have a sure-fire winner with this movie: great concept, interesting and thought provoking questions to be asked, quality people being interviewed … so why did he fail so miserably at making a good documentary? Because he, like all other extreme-wing interviewers (Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Moore, etc) asked the right questions but never actually allowed those he had asked to give their answers fully. If they answered with something that didn’t make sense, he didn’t just reply by pointing out that they didn’t make sense — he basically ridiculed them. When people gave answers that made sense but didn’t line up with what Maher was hoping for, he interrupted them and wouldn’t let them finish, and if they asked for the chance to finish, he would act like they were the rudest people in the world.

   I wish this movie had been better. I want it to have been better. Sadly, however, Maher failed to make the quality film this could have been through his own lack of restraint and his desire to be “witty” all the time. He asked the right questions, but didn’t want to get all the answers — he only wanted the answers that lined up with his viewpoint. Let the facts speak for themselves, sir, don’t force the issue further than it needs to go.

   Disappointing because it had SO MUCH potential.

4. Acting

   OK 2.5

5. Male Stars OK 2.5

6. Female Stars OK 2.5

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars OK 2.5

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction OK 2.5

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals OK 2.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.0

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Fierce 2.3

19. Rudeness Profane 2.6

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0