What a fantastic film! Michael MooreÂ’s Bowling for Columbine is as good a piece of film making as any I have seen for several years. It is also a documentary that means, I guess, that few people will go to see this. Well, you should.

ItÂ’s an investigative piece that looks at the United State of America’s love of guns –in all their forms. While it appears many Americans think it’s a constitutional right to protect their family with a shoot first mentally, Moore contends that this obsession with the freedom to bear arms results in unnecessary deaths (accidental and intentional). Contrasted with Canada – similar gun laws and ownership but considerably fewer deaths it seems Moore may have a point.

The statistics played out on the screen are not always given a context and some of his points rather laboured but Bowling For Columbine has some moments you’d think were fiction (the final K-Mart statement -– I wonÂ’t spoil it) yet are horribly real.

And yes, the clip that’s been doing the rounds of the film shows that has Moore getting a free gun when opening a bank account appears to be very real. Funny, it really does appear that these things really do “only happen in America”.

On this day…

• 2006: Starting Again