There’s an old saying by the famous military strategist, Sun-tzu: keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer.

It’s a piece of advice which has arguably been adopted by the Motion Picture Academy of America’s board of governors, who have just announced the appointment of outsider documentary filmmaker and author Michael Moore to their ranks.

Moore is famous for his scathing attack on US gun culture in ‘Bowling for Columbine’ - on George Bush Jr. in ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ - and on the economy in ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’. His films reflect his anti-establishment, albeit more Democratic than Republican, political leanings.

Such things have made him many enemies in Hollywood. So it’s somewhat surprising to hear of his appointment to the new batch of Oscar governors, alongside fellow newbies ‘Hurt Locker’ director Kathryn Bigelow and ‘Erin Brockovitch’ editor Anne Coates.

Moore’s detractors argue he’s a self-promoting unpatriotic egotist lacking in objectivity, who’s films are highly opinionated diatribes that attack the fabric of America for the sake of disharmony and feed the minds of those who would seek to undermine authority.

His supporters argue he’s a brave exposer of conspiracies, falsehoods, corruptions and social ills, who’s documentaries shine light beneath the seething underbelly of the Capitalist dream.

Insiders in Hollywood have reacted cynically enough to back up both views, with one screenwriter musing, “if the academy has any brains at all, they'd better frisk Moore before every meeting to make sure he doesn't try to bring a hidden camera. If you thought Wall Street and General Motors were fat targets for muckraking, that's nothing compared to the academy.”

Whatever the truth, Moore has undeniably carved out a very high profile niche for himself as a polemical film journalist. He even won an Oscar for ‘Bowling for Columbine’ in 2002, which is possibly the reason he’s been able to join the Academy’s board of governors now.

Moore will now take his place as one of the forty-three members who oversee the organization of the Oscars each year. His duties will include being part of the discussions to pick movies, and movie makers, to be nominated for awards.

But at that early stage of choosing nominees, things are not so straightforward as simple voting. Like all exclusive clubs, there are wheels within wheels to be negotiated at the Academy, where rival groups and factions exist, and where, if Moore’s ideas on who’s in and who’s out are too radical, he may struggle to find supporters, even amongst his fellow left-wingers like ‘Blood Diamond’ producer Ed Zwick, superstar Tom Hanks, comic actor Ed Begley Jr., and ‘Sum of All Fears’ director Phil Alden Robinson.

But if he can play things with some moderation, he may bring a new edge to the Academy, which some might argue has been playing it too safe for too long.

One thing’s for sure, his supporters and detractors will surely all be watching closely to see what Mr Moore will do with his new position…

…on a board which currently doesn’t even feature any African-Americans amongst its membership.

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