Sicko
Director: Michael Moore. Writer: Michael Moore. Cinematography: Christoph Vitt. Film editing: Geoffrey Richman, Christopher Seward, Dan Swietlik. Music: Erin O’Hara. Producers: Michael Moore, Meghan O’Hara. With: Michael Moore, Reggie Cervantes, John Graham, Linda Peeno, William Maher. USA. 113 min. 2007.
Documentary about the sorry state—or rather the absurd, outrageous, and unconscionable state—of the United States healthcare system, including much comparison of America’s money-driven approach with the far more rational, equitable, and humane approaches found in all other nations of the Western world. Moore’s movies are usually most effective when he resists his compulsive urge to grab the spotlight as often and intrusively as possible; here he’s on his best behavior for about 90 minutes, at which point he takes a boatload of sick Americans to the outskirts of the Guantánamo prison camp and demands that they receive “the same treatment al Qaeda gets” from the free on-site health facilities. It’s a quintessential Moore moment--utterly contrived, but putting a memorable exclamation point onto the arguments and demonstrations that precede it, most of which are reasonable, intelligent, and compelling. His weakness for stunts and showing off aside, Moore is a true national treasure. Like all his major works, this is indispensable viewing for Americans of every political persuasion, cultural orientation, and philosophical mindset. Cinema rhetoric rarely gets more powerful than this. – David Sterritt
