MOVIE REVIEW: Capitalism: A Love Story ****

To some people, he is a loud irritation who makes documentaries in line with his personal opinions.

To others, he is a much-needed voice of common sense who is not afraid to tackle authority in search of answers to common sense questions.

I must admit I fall in the latter category, having enjoyed Moore's work on TV show The Awful Truth as well as his previous documentaries, including Roger & Me, Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11.

The subject of Moore's latest film sees him tackle the subject of capitalism and the effect it has had on the American public.

It asks why do people need to make as much money as they can, and why is the gap between rich and poor increasing?

The film is a mix of history, investigative reporting and a look at the people who have been affected, by losing their homes or their jobs.

But there are also humourous moments and messages of hope between the compelling evidence against capitalism.

The film begins with a different perspective on homes being repossessed - filmed by the family in question from inside their soon to be former home.

The footage shows a procession of police cars arrive outside and officers start breaking in to evict those inside.

As most other police raids you seen on screen tend to be shown from the outside going in, seeing the family sitting inside while their doors are being pounded is an original way of showing the effect it is having on them.

Mixing in American history, with its message of capitalism being good compared with ancient Rome, Moore's film tackles a number of subjects.

There are firms profiting from home reposessions, including a company called Condo Vultures.

The history of General Motors and its boom after the Second World War, where its German and Japanese competitors were still rebuilding rather than being able to compete, is also a subject close to Moore's heart as GM's factory used to be in his hometown in Michigan and employed his father.

Pilot's wages are also mentioned, and in the most shocking part of the film, there are documents showing big businesses profiting after taking out life insurance policies in the name of their employees, effectively meaning their staff were worth more to them dead than alive.

The final part of the film focuses on bank bailouts and the close links between America's financial heavyweights and the government - in fact almost all of the senior US Treasury jobs are held by former workers at Goldman Sachs.

Moore asks why the banks were bailed out by the government when the first bailout plan was rejected after public outcry and what the banks were doing with the money.

But the film is not all doom and gloom, as it offers hope by showing clips from Barack Obama suggesting wealth needs to be spread more evenly, despite Republican fears this made him a socialist.

There are also examples of how evicted families and organised workers who were made redundant took non-violent action to be treated more fairly, and the section on successful co-operatives offers hope too.

This film does have its flaws, as the first economics expert Moore talks to is a playwright/actor friend of his who has studied economics, so he is hardly a financial heavyweight, and some may find its approach a little scattergun.

At around two hours in length, it is also slightly overlong.

But it is clear to see Moore argues his point well, and the fact both Republicans and Democrats are criticised in equal measure means this documentary is not simply an exercise in bashing the George W Bush administration.

It may lack the standout memorable moments of Bowling For Columbine (the ban on bullet sales at K-Mart) or Fahrenheit 9/11 (asking politicians to enlist their children in the US Army so they could fight in Iraq and Afghanistan), but Capitalism: A Love Story is certainly a thought-provoking documentary.

Capitalism: A Love Story (12A) is out tomorrow.