Sicko
 | Special EditionDirected by Michael Moore Starring: Michael Moore Weinstein Company, 2007, DVD Customer Rating: 308 reviews Recommend |
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Following on the heels of his Palm d'Or winning Fahrenheit 9/11 and his Oscar winning film Bowling for Columbine, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore's new documentary sets out to investigate the American healthcare system. Sticking to his tried-and-true one-man approach, Moore sheds light on the complicated medical affairs of individuals and local communities.
SiCKO is more like a controlled howl of protest than a documentary. Toning down the rhetoric of past efforts — no CEOs, congressmen, or celebrities were accosted in the making of this film — Michael Moore's latest provocation is just as heartfelt, if not more heartbreaking. As he clarifies from the outset, his subject isn't the 45 million Americans without insurance, but those whose coverage has failed to meet their needs. He starts by speaking with patients who've been denied life-saving procedures, like chemotherapy, for the most spurious of reasons. Then he travels to Canada, England, and France to see if socialized medicine is as inefficient as U.S. politicians like to claim — especially those who receive funding from pharmaceutical companies. Moore finds quality care available to all, regardless as to income. He concludes with a stunt that made headlines when he assembles a group of 9/11 rescue workers suffering from a variety of afflictions. When Moore is informed that detainees at Guantánamo Bay — technically American soil — qualify for universal coverage, he and his companions travel to Cuba to get in on that action. It's a typically grandstanding move on Moore's part. And it proves remarkably effective when these altruistic individuals, who've either been denied treatment or forced to pay outrageous costs for their medication, experience a dramatically different system. Nine years in the making, SiCKO makes a persuasive case that it's time for America to catch up with the rest of the world. — Kathleen C. Fennessy
Title: Sicko (Special Edition)
Sales Rank: 320 in DVD
Actor: Michael Moore
Director: Michael Moore
Studio: Weinstein Company, 2007-11-06, Theatrical Release: 2007-06-22
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Russian (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 123 minutes
Item Dimensions: 1 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches, 0.2 pounds
- Powerful argument for heath care reform
- This is, to use an overused term, a must-see documentary. Moore powerfully shows how bad the U.S. health care system is at this time. He shows how different (and) better things are in European countries with "socialized" medicine. If Sicko doesn't convince you that we need health care reform nothing will. Having said this, I disagree with Moore's sanguine view… More reviews
- Excellent
- Many people find Michael Moore annoying and dislike his political point of view but this documentary is more about the people than anything else. Fact, millions don't have health coverage in one of the most riches countries in the world. Fact, people are dying while few get richer and richer and FACT, the goverment so far… More reviews
- A Massive Indictment of Our Criminal Health-Care System
- If you vote "not helpful" on this particular review, please tell me why. That's only fair because it is a subject of such importance to America. If you think Moore exaggerated, then please read my own horror stories below.
No one should oppose National Health Insurance without first seeing Michael Moore's unrelenting line of horror stories about American health care--a… More reviews
- Buy "Sicko" and send it to all your friends and relatives
- Have been a fan of Michael Moore for a long time. This is one of his best works. We have a serious health care problem in America and he brings out the ugly truth in a humorous and thoughtful way. As one of the most developed countries in the world we should be ashamed we do not have universal health care. … More reviews
- If you like silly exaggerations, you will like this.
- Filled with many well produced exaggerations designed to make a point and not necessary the truth of the situation. While healthcare needs reform in the US, pointing to healthcare systems in other countries where their citizens come to the US for care if they can afford the cost is ridiculous. Anyone that's followed Michael Moore's work has learned to expect a certain… More reviews
