- Frank Rich in his May 23^rd New York Times article, “Michael Moore’s Candid Camera”

- Desson Howe his May 18^th Washington Post movie review, “ 'Fahrenheit 9/11': Connecting With a Hard Left”

That controversial documentary director Michael Moore likes to gun for the Bush Administration and conservatives (and Republicans) is no new news. To see any of his films is to understand that. But the surge building for his newest award-winning documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 in the independent film circuit and the media speaks of a huge tidal wave steadily rushing towards the U.S. movie-loving public. The question is: Will it impact the presidential election? Well we’ll soon find out come June 25th.

For a release date has finally been set for Moore’s hot new film. A partnership between Lion’s Gate Films (which backed Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ), IFC Films and the Fellowship Adventure Group (newly formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein of Miramax) resulted in a date being set this week. Though early reports had Moore hoping for a July 4th release, he is pleased to settle for June 25^th.

Not having seen the film yet (as it has only been shown at last week’s Cannes Film Festival in France), it’s difficult to say what impact Farenheit 9/11 will have on the upcoming presidential election. But the hype and sneak peeks issued through reviews in major newspapers and on Michael Moore’s website speaks of a whining mosquito that won’t be slapped away. It probably won’t win the election for Democratic hopeful John Kerry, but it’ll sure stir up enough of a flap to aggravate the Bush Administration and maybe swing some votes.

In case you haven’t heard, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a caustic look at Pres. George W. Bush’s war on terror and on Iraq. Though Moore initially hyped the movie (most famously in his raging, boorish Oscar Awards acceptance speech in March) to be a dissection of ties between the Bush and Bin Laden families, that portion is reportedly quickly summarized in the first half hour of the film.

Then the real fun starts. Using startling never-before-seen video (courtesy of foreign journalists embedded with American troops, says Moore) the film tears apart Pres. Bush’s war on terrorism and Iraq with Moore’s usual brand of partisan ridicule, bravado and wit. But it goes one step further to let shocking images speak for itself.

The first legitimacy for the film came by way of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, w here it took the top Palme d’Or prize. (The first documentary to do so in nearly 50 years.) At Cannes, the film enjoyed the distinction of being the first film for which judges released public statements on why they chose it.

Actress Tilda Swinton, who was on the 9-member jury that picked Moore’s film for the top prize, said, “One of the reasons it is radical in its politics is because of its relation to the media. It starts and ends with a question. ... It is not a film about Bush, nor Iraq but rather the system. In the words of Godard, ‘we spend so much time looking for the key to the problem; we need to begin looking for the lock.’”

Jury leader and director Quentin Tarantino added that judging a movie based on politics is plain wrong. “If it wasn’t some of the best filmmaking, then I would not have chosen it.”

Just days after Fahrenheit 9/11 took the top prize at Cannes, Hollywood and the White House chose their stands: Dan Bartlett, White House communications director, said “[The film] is so outrageously false, it’s not even worth comment.” (As reported in the New York Times)

Then documentary film director D.A. Pennebaker, whose films include the 1992 Oscar-nominated election campaign movie The War Room, weighed in. “I think [Fahrenheit 9/11] will be hugely successful. It’s going to get a lot of publicity, and this country is really in the mood for somebody to tell ‘em what they should think, what to do,” he said. (As reported by Reuters on cnn.com)

Mixed reviews aside, the storm surrounding Moore’s film is not likely to subside anytime soon. It’s rocky history to find a distributor only served to increase attention to the film’s anti-Bush message. The film was picked up by Miramax Films division, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co., who in turn blocked Miramax from releasing and distributing the film. (Disney chief executive Michael Eisner said the company didn’t want to support the film “in the middle of the political process,” and that the company’s consumers “do not look for us to take sides.”)

But Miramax’s Weinstein brothers, with their commitment to independent (and often controversial) films, put their full force behind the film and fought with Disney to find a way to release it. Finally on Memorial Day weekend they finalized a deal to buy back Fahrenheit 9/11 from Disney and distribute it themselves.

For this special purpose they formed the Fellowship Adventure Group, described on msn.com as a “new special-purpose company” created just to acquire all rights to the film, according to a press release from Miramax and Disney. The agreement between the companies arranges for any profits from the films distribution slated to Disney or Miramax to go to charity instead, said the press release.

This extraordinary deal gave the Weinsteins full rights over the film by having them repay Disney an estimated 6 million for all costs of the film. The brothers are now responsible for marketing and finishing costs as well. And now that a partnership with Lion’s Gate and IFC is achieved, American audiences won’t have long to wait to see the film. And what does Moore think about all this financial wrangling?

“It’s a fair and equitable solution,” he said in an issued statement.

With such fight to get the film distributed plus it’s timely and controversial subject matter, Fahrenheit 9/11 surely will be ruffling some feathers come June 25^th.