THE BIG ONE

Michael Moore may have risen to celebrity status in the eight years since his debut with “Roger & Me,” but he remains feverishly loyal to his cause – exposing the overt shortsightedness of corporate greed. Sent by his publisher on a nationwide book tour, Moore takes the opportunity to make a film, without necessarily informing his publisher. Shooting with a tiny crew, he encourages his cameramen to keep rolling under all circumstances. Whether at a secret meeting with Borders employees who are trying to unionize or visiting a recently closed candy-bar factory where the newly unemployed are picketing, Moore is talking to people, asking them questions, and coming to the same conclusion: This country is still experiencing fierce corporate downsizing. American companies are cutting back by closing stateside factories in favor of cheaper labor overseas, resulting in even larger profits at the expense of our workers. Moore maintains a unique ability to explain the plight of the American worker in simple, even humorous language. He may not live in Flint any longer, but he hasn't forgotten what happened there. – Toronto International Film Festival