| SICKO |
 2007 - USADirector: Michael Moore
- Reviewed by Jennifer
After introducing us to several families devastated by their dealings with the health care system, Moore takes us to Canada, Great Britain, and France to check out socialized medicine. You might expect to find long lines, poor facilities, and shoddy care, but the overall impression is one of efficiency and competence. It's medicine for the people, by the people, and patients don't skip treatment simply to avoid exorbitant medical bills. The costs are absorbed by taxpayers, but the general belief in these countries is that their citizens are entitled to receive the medical care they need. Does socialized medicine fail from time to time? Sure. That goes without saying, but can it possibly suck as much as paying for insurance that doesn't even cover you? Toward the end of the documentary, Moore plays the 9/11 card so often used by politicians and media outlets to gain our sympathies. And why not? He might as well use the same ammunition as the big kids. We are introduced to three rescue workers suffering long-term health effects from their exposure to dust and trauma at Ground Zero, none of whom can get the care they need under their insurance plans. Having heard about the excellent care given to terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay, Moore takes them to Cuba to see if the heroes of 9/11 can receive the same treatment as the villains. The answer is no, but they do stop by a nice Cuban hospital while they're there, and they're welcomed with open arms. It's easy to see why Michael Moore ruffles feathers, but you've got to give him props for putting forth his arguments passionately and opening debate on subjects we sometimes overlook. By the 3/4 mark, he's pretty much made his point, but he throws in enough humor and compassion to hold us to the very end. That's saying a lot, considering that the issues presented hit so close to home you practically get sick with anxiety as you watch. DVD NOTESThe DVD boasts a full 80 minutes of additional material by Michael Moore, including the featurettes "Sicko Goes To Washington", "Uniquely American", "What If You Worked For G.E. In France?", "Sister Mary Fidel", "Who Would Jesus Deny?", and "More With Mike and Tony Bern". It's a lot to wade through, especially when the film itself runs a bit long. "This Country Beats France" takes a fascinating look at the Norwegian prison system (the convicts all live in keen island cottages, no one goes away for more than 21 years, AND the country still has an insanely low murder rate), and "A Different Kind of Hollywood Premiere" shows Moore debuting his film to people on L.A.'s Skid Row. The music video to The Nightwatchman's "Alone Without You", an interview gallery, and the theatrical trailer round out the extras. If the DVD release date hadn't crept up, you can bet Moore would still be adding to it. |
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Sicko operates on the premise that we've all heard the negative
press about socialized medicine, then asks us to consider the flaws in
our own health care system. Without even touching on our nation's
uninsured, Moore drives his point home by illustrating how the system
(ruled by profit-driven insurance companies) allows policyholders to
fall through the cracks. Or, as one interview subject puts it, to
sweep patients directly into the cracks by denying payment. The
industry claims they're not denying care, but if getting care means
financial ruin for one's entire family, how many people are really
going to go after it on their own?
