|
| Warner Bros. | Release Date: December 20, 1989 |
Starring:
Anita Bryant, Fred Ross, James Blanchard, James Bond, Karen Edgely, Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, Michael Moore, Pat Boone, Rhonda Britton, Roger B. Smith
Summary:
Director Michael Moore pursues GM CEO Roger B. Smith to confront him about the harm he did to Flint, Michigan with his massive downsizing.
Watch Now
| Buy on |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|
Moore documents both the doomed effort to turn Flint into a tourist center and the sorry leadership of the United Auto Workers, born in Flint, which appears co-opted by management. The film uses humor to make the point that in the rush to make money in the '80s we have forgotten the common man. [12 Jan 1990, p.A]
A brilliant, ironic, black-humored story that shows what happens when the American Dream becomes the American Nightmare. [12 Jan 1990, p.3F]
Though Roger & Me's editing plays somewhat fast and loose with the juxtaposition of real-life events, it qualifies as an event itself. For once, have-nots get to lambaste haves in a documentary likely to be seen. [20 Dec 1989, p.5D]
In short, Roger & Me is a breath of new life blowing through the Rust Belt. So depressed has this country's underclass been that any sign of life from it makes you want to cheer, and the funny and furious Roger & Me makes you want to cheer a lot. [12 Jan 1990, p.38P]
There's a zippety-doo-dah bounce and brashness to Roger & Me, but it's not the definitive word on what ailed Flint, Mich., when assembly lines stopped rolling. [12 Jan 1990, p.E3]
In the end, Roger & Me says less about GM than it does about the human toll of corporate restructuring. Behind all the sarcasm, Moore manages to convey the dark side of the Reagan boom years. But broad humor, cheap shots and all, it does serve as a useful reminder that the '80s weren't just about glamorous Wall Street deals. [15 Jan 1990, p.52]
Moore, a big shambling joker who's the director, producer, writer, and star, deadpans his way through interviews with an assortment of unlikely people, who are used as stooges. And he does something that is humanly very offensive: Roger & Me uses its leftism as a superior attitude.
More From Metacritic
Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
