Review of Sicko (2007) by Kyle B — 03 Sep 2012

Outstanding film, documentary or otherwise. Michael Moore does the best thing possible for his presentation by reducing his presence in it. While he still narrates and is present in several scenes, the material here is allowed to speak for itself.

And that material is rather disturbing to think about. For one, is the notion that the only ones automatically entitled to some of the finest health care we can offer are our representatives in government and the terror suspects we have in our custody.

That's disgraceful. More frustrating still is the comparison of our health care system to those in Canada, France, and the U.K. And while I'm sure there are some issues with a government-run system, the idea of not having to worry about tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of dollars in costs for necessary medical procedures is rather attractive.

Who wants to have to fight their insurer or doctor to get the care they need to live? A system of health care that isn't motivated by profit (whether private or otherwise) is one of the central goals of the film.

The other is a reminder that we're all human beings, and we shouldn't have to be denied the right to go on living a quality life. This shouldn't solely be a liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, but one for everyone to champion.

There's so many things to say about Sicko, but the highest praise I can think to give it is that Michael Moore gives a powerful presentation of the facts, allowing us to form our own opinions about what should happen next.

I think we can all agree that something needs to happen with health care in America, and starting a real dialogue about this is the first step towards real progress. See this film and start thinking!