France’s passion for cinema and the collective antipathy for U.S. President George W. Bush made Wednesday’s opening here of “Fahrenheit 9/11” a headline event that quickly proved a boon at the box office.
But, alas, even Michael Moore could not escape that critical Gallic eye.
The movie that won its cinematic stripes at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May, taking the Golden Palm, the highest award, wracked up “extraordinary” ticket sales for its first afternoon showings in Paris, according to an official at the MK2 movie chain.
It stole the headlines in several French papers. Elevating the movie to an event, the left-leaning Liberation left the praiseful commentary to its nationally known executive editor.
“Michael Moore is a television show unto himself,” Serge July wrote, praising the director as the “American Falstaff of documentaries.”