Sick to My Stomach
by Flick Chick Vique
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Sicko gurneys in with 4 Red Vines for exposing greed |
Love him or hate him, there’s no question that Michael Moore does his homework. The prolific filmmaker has given new life to the documentary with his award winning work.
From Roger and Me to his short-lived series TV Nation on NBC to his most recent work, I’ve seen them all. Some have moved me to action, others make me sad and angry but no matter what buttons he pushes, he always makes me ‘think’.
His latest effort, Sicko, is no different. But unlike his previous movies, the villain is someone most will have no problem booing. For even as the movie opens with a guy stitching up his own gaping wound or another who had to decide whether to have the top of his middle finger reattached for $60,000 or his ring finger for $12,000, he reminds us that the movie is not about the 50,000 Americans living without medical insurance.
No Sicko is about the rest of us. The ones with good insurance but still can’t afford a $250 pill. One insurance nightmare after another is chronicled for you and not everyone gets out alive. But stories like this are sadly all too common and most of us have probably heard of one or two that hit closer to home.
Where the film excels is Moore’s research into how we got into this mess in the first place. And I gotta tell you, even I was a little shocked to see what or rather ‘whom’ he unearthed. From there he follows the bloody trail to the politicians, lobbyists and companies who keep raking in enormous profits while denying benefits to millions.
As if this wasn’t disturbing enough, he then proceeds to show us all the perks citizens from Canada, France and the UK get. It will blow your mind!
Of all his movies this one seemed to move very slowly. It didn’t have nearly the production value of previous films. And the ironic humor was kept to a minimum. I’m well aware that you have to take his movies with a grain of salt– yes they are extremely one sided. But one thing is for sure, love him or hate him, the side he’s on is yours.
Did you see it?
Tell us what you thought of it!
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