Review of Sicko

This is a total review of the film Sicko, by Michael Moore. I will be looking at this film as a whole, did I like it, how was it made, and who was it talking too. I will start by saying this was a good movie (Documentary). The main focus of the film was to show the health-care system in the U.S versus that of other countries. If you have seen any of Michael Moore,s other films you will see that they are from a more liberal point of view. That is the only part of Michael Moore movies I dislike, they only show one side of the story. All of that said, it is an entertaining movie, that has a really important message that many people have an opinion about.
The movie was made as a documentary, so you can not try and critique the acting because the only person paid to be in the film is Michael Moore himself. The film is easy to follow, the director describes all of the settings and people being interviewed. It was really interesting seeing the different shots that he got and the editing that was done to add emotion to the film. As the director is showing the big insurance companies in the U.S. the music is low, but loud enough for you to hear it. You find yourself focusing on the words that Michael Moore is saying and the very clear message that is being delivered. He does a great job demonstrating the very poor climate in Cuba, and how primitive the hospital is, compared to the state of the art hospitals in the U.S.
This film's goal is to get Americans discussing the health-care system and its flaws. The director strongly pushes his views on the issue and distorts them to further make his point. He does a very good job at doing this, for people who share in his opinion this movie is a strong statement for change. This point is illustrated in the film at many spots; the mother from Detroit that goes up to Canada to get he child a check-up for free, by using a friends address; the Americans living in France that tell the camera how wonderful the system is and how they will stay in France for the health-care. The point is finally driven home, with great theater, by telling the story of the Sept. 11 rescue workers story. The story of three rescue workers from ground zero, all three suffering from respiratory problems from breathing the dust and contaminated air at ground zero. He explains how they can not afford to get treatment for their problems and the financial help from the government has stopped. So Michael Moore takes them down to Cuba to get them help. They are able to get seen and treated by just coming through the doors. This is a great way of driving home his point because he uses a Communist country, that is poor and ruled by a dictator. I thought that was brilliant by the director, to use American heroes and a country we do not trade with. I enjoy movies that like to make a social or political statement because even if I believe what I am watching it is fun to play devil's advocate. The health-care system in this country needs some improvement and Michael Moore shows this point with great evidence, but my question is what is he not showing us? The socialized medicine in Canada, England, France and Cuba seem like the perfect system. How much does it cost? How will my taxes change? Will a socialized system affect research and the technical advances in the field? These are the questions that the film does not answer and what are keeping this film from being good to being great. The film does not paint the whole picture. The average person who goes to see this movie for entertainment value will leave the theater or turn off their TV with the opinion that we need to go to a socialized system. Michael Moore has then done his job, he has gotten the everyday person to agree with him. I found the movie to be fun to watch and very entertaining, but incomplete, most of the people who I discussed this with liked the movie and shared in his viewpoint. That is what makes these types of movies so successful, people just share in the directors point of view, not forming their own opinion.

The Art of Watching Films. Briggs, Dennis. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. 2008