CNN.com - Review: 'Fahrenheit' - a powerful, fiery film

CNN.com - Review: 'Fahrenheit - a powerful, fiery film - Jun 24, 2004: "Moore is going for the jugular in this one-man cinematic crusade. However, he does show remarkable -- and I feel wise -- restraint when it comes to the actual events of September 11, 2001. Rather than featuring grisly images of the World Trade Center collapsing, he lets the screen go dark, relying on sound to convey the horror of the event.

But when it comes to Bush himself, the gloves are off and the fists are clenched.

But the film finds stunning power in the story of Lila Lipscomb, a resident of Moore's hometown of Flint, Michigan. Her son is fighting in Iraq; when she is first interviewed, she's a staunch defender of the war and Bush's policies.

But then her son is killed. After his death, she goes through a poignant and deep metamorphosis and becomes staunchly anti-Bush and anti-war.
Whether 'Fahrenheit 9/11' will have an impact beyond its cinematic achievement, only time will tell. But that doesn't diminish the film. It's an accomplished documentary with an extremely powerful message. "

By Paul Clinton
CNN Reviewer