Capitalism: A Love Story

As expected, the most effective moments in "Capitalism: A Love Story" come when filmmaker/narrator Michael Moore is barely seen or heard.

Those sequences in this movie in which Moore takes center stage are filled with the same chest-puffing that have turned him into a bit of a bore — and as a result of that, some of his later works have fallen on deaf ears.

Luckily for Moore, his latest, and supposedly last, documentary feature succeeds almost in spite of him. Even if you don't agree with his assertions regarding economic theory and social politics, it still holds some interest.

The scathing and surprisingly serious "Capitalism" is a career summation or sorts for Moore. It picks up on themes that were explored in his first feature, 1989's "Roger & Me," and then carried through everything from his short-lived television series "Tv Nation" and "The Awful Truth" to seemingly unconnected films like 2007's "Sicko."

In this film, he profiles people in Illinois and North Carolina who are in danger of losing their homes after defaulting on bank loans.

Moore also looks at laid-off workers in Chicago who locked themselves inside their factory around Christmastime.

And of course, he attempts to explain how the economy got so bad.

But Moore still can't resist injecting himself into the movie. In one insufferable moment he proudly proclaims that he "warned" politicians and financial officials that the crisis was coming.

Moore also has trouble connecting all his points. Segments that discuss the barely livable wages of new airline pilots and a scandal involving the juvenile justice system are superfluous at best.

(You may also notice that while some former Republican presidents get heavy blame, their Democratic counterparts escape relatively unscathed.)

"Capitalism: A Love Story" is rated R and features some strong violent content and imagery (newsreel footage of rioting, warfare and natural disasters), strong sexual profanity, some off-color slang terms and references, derogatory language and slurs, and some brief drug references and content (marijuana, antidepressants and innoculations). Running time: 127 minutes.

e-mail: jeff@desnews.com