Sicko (2007)

Really Surprised!

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Overall, I was not all that impressed with Sicko but I was definitely saddened by many of the stories along the way. The major problem is that the film misrepresents healthcare in other countries. England does have a two tiered system and it might be a point to mention somewhere in the doco! Furthermore I couldn't help but think as Moore ranted about health care problems in a western world - this almost seems like a luxury - what about all the countries in the world that don't.I was distracted by much of the camera work. Some of the movement and out of focus shots felt staged to remind us that this is a doco.... and supposed to look on the fly not a cinematic experience. But sure, Sicko does make you reflect on how lucky we are to even have the healthcare debate.

There are some parts of "Sicko" I just cannot believe are real. Whether or not it's the obvious cost cutting initiative's that benefit Insurance companies, or the fact that America's health care system is ranked 37 out of 191 by the World Health Organization. This documentary is a superb eye opener when it comes to seeing just how a few other countries and their policies seem unreal by comparison.This is possibly my favourite of Moore's work so far. There cannot help but be a presence of sarcasm as he continues to go to the lengths he does in order to make some progress, especially with the rescue workers of 9/11. It wouldn't be a Michael Moore film without a little politics here and there, whether you agree with the man or not there's always a level of truth to it all.Final Verdict: Definitely something you should watch, just for the absurdities of it all. 8.5/10.

Sicko (2007) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Michael Moore sets his fire onto the American health care system in what's probably the best movie of his career. Moore interviews several Americans who have health insurance and yet they find no ease as the companies are constantly denying people in order to save their company money. One after another we hear a wide range of stories dealing with the downside of health care and this includes several people who had to die simply because the insurance companies wouldn't pay for medicine, a trip to a hospital or just some basic care. To make his point, Moore also travels to various places like Britian, Canada, France and even Cuba to show how much the government takes care of people by making sure everyone has insurance and that no one is denied no matter what. No matter what feel about Moore there's no question that this is a very good documentary taking a look at the problems with health care. Yes, as with many of his films this one here features some questionable stuff and I'd say that it also overlooks any good story about the American health system but these don't take away from anything. The main purpose is to show that the health system is a complete fraud in America and there's really no excuse for it. There's a sequence where people are thrown out of hospitals, put into cabs and dropped off simply because they don't have money. Even worse are people who helped at Ground Zero after 9/11, including firefighters and cops, who were refused medical treatment. Needless to say, this is certainly the type of documentary that is going to make you angry and it really should. Moore doesn't go on the attack as much as previous films but he does tell the human side of the stories and this is why he gets so much out of the material.

At first I thought this was just going to be another documentary about some socialist minded paranoid complaining about something we already know about. I was wrong! I recently rented this movie again for my wife and step son to see. They were in amazement after seeing some of the stuff they saw. Even after seeing it a second time I was still in amazement. Normally I don't buy movies, but I'm seriously considering buying this one to show anyone I know who didn't see this movie. Michael Moore did an excellent job here in bringing out the truth. America is still one of the best countries in the world and I love her, so we have to wake up! If you are a true red blooded American you have to see this movie. Also, I definitely recommend "Fahrenheit 911", also by Michael Moore.