Michael Moore's documentary is intelligent, witty and down right funny in places. The 1st 1/2 hour is particularly amusing, but then, as is appropriate in a film covering America's incredible gun-death rate, you are brought back down to earth.

The film is structured around the question "Why do so many people die from being shot in the USA?". Moore deals with various answers, and finds them lacking in credibility when comparisons are drawn with other countries, particularly Canada.

Canada has high levels of gun ownership, is multi-racial, has comparible unemployment levels etc. but has a much smaller number of gun-related deaths. Moore hints at several factors which may explain this: better social provision, lower levels of racial discrimination, a less self-centred attitude, and a less militaristic government. Is he right? I don't know, but it is a fascinating and thought provoking film, and not 1/2 as boring as I might have made it sound!

(seen 2003/01/02 )