Saturday 20 April 2013

Sicko (2007) - ★★★★½

Director: Michael Moore            Writer: Michael Moore

Sicko is a shocking documentary. Coming from Australia, I knew nothing about the US healthcare system. Michael Moore is notorious for having biased documentaries, but in the face of all the evidence he presents, this documentary holds up as truthful and genius. It's genius because the point Moore tries to make comes across as plausible and clear. This film proves that the healthcare system in the US is broken and shows us the who, what, when, where and why.


I love the interviews with people who had first hand experience with the Health Insurance companies. We already know that insurance companies do whatever it takes to save money, this film shows you that they would do it even if it means letting a person die. The stories are heart-wrenching and at times had me in tears. For a foreigner, the circumstances these people go through are unimaginable.

When Michael Moore visits France and England we see just how horrible the current US healthcare system is. It just doesn't compare to socialized medicine. Anyone with a brain can see that socialized medicine is by far the better system. That's why Moore also reveals that members of congress in America are corrupted by the insurance companies. The whole thing is infuriating. If that wasn't enough, he even goes to Cuba where the healthcare is better there!

There is even a focus on the smaller-scale problems, such as patients that can't afford to stay in hospital. In some cases, people are put in a taxi and dropped off in the streets to look after themselves. It's inhumane, but it happens. We see multiple application rejections and families suffer as a consequence. All of these problems are revealed in a clear, unbiased and highly convincing fashion.

So in the end, this film had me both sad and infuriated. This is definitely one of the best documentaries by Moore. Instead of focusing on politics and war, he focuses on the little guys; the people who can't afford to get medical treatment. This is a film that every US citizen should see. It's gutsy, it's raw and it's eye opening.


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