Sicko (2007) User Reviews

Michael Moore is the #1 patriot in USA, I hope people realize it now.

[antti-kahkonen · 9/10 · 18 June 2007]

I can only hope this movie wakes some people up, especially those flag waving people who keep on repeating slogans like "greatest country in the world" etc. This could be a serious wake up call for a proud nation. I have always wondered how people can still call it the greatest country if it does not have universal health care, but maybe the reason is, they don't know any better. They do not realize that in other western countries this has been done for ages and it works.

People of USA should embrace Moore as the patriot he is. He wants the American PEOPLE all the best, but he gets sacrificed by the same people because he dares to speak about the government. But true patriots rise against governments too, if they are bad for the people. United states is not the flag, not the white house, not the senate, not the soaring eagle. It is the people living there, and this is what they have to remember. You can demand for universal health care, and you can vote for it.

his best documentary so far

[ianriley · 8/10 · 17 June 2007]

Brilliant documentary, with a softer, less angry Moore taking a good hard look at the current state of the inner-workings of the American private health care system, and comparing them to the universal systems in Canada, England, and France. The nay-sayers will argue that he's skewing his content, or simply choosing the worst HMO stories, but that's exactly what he has to do to drive his point home! The content here is far less controversial than in his previous films. It's widely known that, despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the states is far from best when it comes to taking care of their own.

The film gives the impression that Canadians wait an average of 45minutes to get seen at a hospital. Being a Canadian, I'll tell you right away that is not the case. There is an issue here in Canada with long wait times (both at the hospital and for major surgery), however, the system still works well, and everyone is taken care of, regardless of financial or social status.

Seeing sicko really made me realize just how much I take our universal health care system for granted. Some of the HMO horror stories Moore gives are shocking (to put it lightly).

While this film doesn't pack quite the punch, compared to Fahrenheit and Columbine, it's still going to turn a lot of heads. Everyone should see this movie.

Michael Moore For President!!!

[maxthapilgrim · 9/10 · 13 June 2007]

After watching this film, i grew restless. Not the sorta restless, you get, when nobody calls you on the phone for weeks. No- restless that i can not reach out, and share parts of the health-care-system, from where i come from in Denmark. Now, i've only once experienced this sort of restlessness after watching a movie, and it was Michael Moores "Rodger and me". YES- Moore does it again. And he fulfills his role, as an rebellious anti-capitalist, pointing out the wrongs and rights in society, that people have simply grown accustom to. PERFECT! He once again gives us his artistic brand consisting of small terrific, or in this case, horrible stories from everyday people who have been neglected by the American health-care system. Michael Let's you pass trough the homes of MANY families as you engage upon their stories. This time Michael has brought far more people into the interviews, and it gives the hole bundle more juice then FAHRENHEIT. He also, takes his time to show old clips, video/photos of the people hes interviewing, so you feel you get the entire background on some of the folks. BRAVO! Michael himself, is this time a bit more "americaniced" -but only to really point out the benefits of the other countries, does he take the role of the average American joe. PERFECT! Over all. If you read this. I think this movie will make as huge an impact on you, as it did on me. And i think every Michael Moore film, is both educational and should be thought in schools, as well as very important for the entire society to see! That is... if you want to be a part of your society?

European VIEW FOR CONSERVATIVES

[perebarr · 14 July 2007]

As European living temporary in this country (my wife is American), I would like to give my point of view about the movie:

1) The facts that Michael Moore show about European Health System is true. We don't pay bills for medical procedures.

2) Universal Health Care it doesn't mean "socialist" health care like Cuba. Rich and middle-high class can go to the private system, so we have both to choice, but it's normal that if you have to afford a expensive medical bill (how can afford a 250k medical bill?), even rich people go to the public system.

3) As European living in United States, I can say Americans pay more taxes (direct and indirect), than Europeans, it's absolutely false that UHC will double the taxes of Americans.

4) This is not a issue about conservatives or liberals, this is simple a humanity question.

5) The Cuban woman made the right question: if a poor caribean island like Cuba can give Universal health care to their citizens, how the first economical potence can afford this? 6)One of the typical points to critic this movie is about wait lines to have medical attention in countries with UHC. The statistics are very clear: there are no more wait lines in this countries than in USA, even covering 100 % of the people (if you are a little bit intelligent and not a fanatic extremist, you can understand that if you exclude 50 milion person from medical attention, your rates about this issue can be better).

7) This people that support the actual health care, I think they don't understood one of the principal messages of this movie: it doesn't matter if you have a good insuarance...you can be exclude for "bussiness" reasons. HORRIBLE AND INSANE.

8) Every American had to recommend this movie to their neighbour, and associate (like in other times for other issues like segregation laws or vote for women), because affordable health care is BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, forbidden in the the richest country in the world.

9) A lot of Americans are proud to be good Christians...I'm not sure Jesus and God support a system that treat human being as garbage. This post is specially dedicated for people that love America and the tradition (conservatives), because if they accept taxes for pay national security, inside this security can include this silent and big enemies that are always waiting to kill American people (cancer, strokes...). Don't worry, you can be conservative and patritotic and support a human and Christian system that support the poor and normal people. This not socialist, is capitalism with human face (normal in other advanced societies where they live more and better).

Wow.. just wow

[rich3077 · 10/10 · 23 June 2007]

I just got done watching this movie and no other movie I have seen in my life has had the impact on me that this movie has had.

My wife has M.S. and requires a LOT of medical treatment. Just ONE of her many prescriptions is a thousand (US) dollars a month. This very expensive experimental drug is nothing more than an old flu shot they are experimenting with. ( seriously )

I am a middle class skilled worker with great insurance.. and I may soon be homeless due in part to this. The other part is due to the corrupt banking system that I hope one day gets equally exposed.

I am now officially embarrassed to be a US citizen. If it wasn't for me already being middle aged and having 15 years seniority in a job I cannot replace... I would forever leave this so called "Free Country"

Peace Rich

[e-mail]

Viewer beware on Sicko

[roblange17 · 10/10 · 13 June 2007]

As an American this movie was one of the most depressing movies I've seen in awhile. Bowling for Columbine doesn't even hold a candle to the disheartening realizations contained in this film. I walked away with a sick taste in my mouth having been reminded of how disgusting and heartless our bottom line policy making is. How sick it is to be imprisoned by the government through healthcare. How the healthcare system will tear down every other joy in your life until your 80, working 50 hours a week to pay the cost of staying alive, unable to stand against the rich or have the hope left to vote. Thus the propaganda arm of the American Dream prevails. I don't plan to watch this movie again until I obtain citizenship in Britain, France, Cuba… or Ron Paul could get elected president and as a former physician he might actually fix the system.

Insured Americans beware

[Natshaw · 10/10 · 17 June 2007]

I recently finished watching Michael Moore's Sicko (it's a great documentary that everyone should see). It's not about the 47 million Americans who don't have health insurance, it's about some of the 250 million who have/had health insurance and in spite of this their lives were ruined. It dispels a lot of the myths espoused by some in America such as long waiting lines, higher taxes and the doctors being paid close to nothing. It explains why HMOs were established and how their primary purpose is to deny claims. Advancement in these companies is based upon how many claims an employee denies and any claims that are actually paid out are seen as failures. He goes to countries like Canada, England, France and Cuba and talks to citizens of these countries to get their take on their country's health-care system. He also goes to hospitals and emergency rooms in these countries to get the take of the people there and when he ask "How much do you pay?", they all laugh at him. Moore sums up the premise of film when he says the rest of the western world practices "We" health-care while Americans practice "Me" health-care.

This Film is Amazing!!!

[brokentarot-1 · 10/10 · 13 June 2007]

Please, cast aside your prejudices and watch this film with an open mind. I personally do not like Michael Moore whatsoever, but this film is mind blowing. I hope that that including quotes from the movie is not considered spoiling it.

Feb 17th, 1971 5:23 P.M.

Ehrlichman : "We have now narrowed down the vice president's problems on this thing to one issue, and that is whether we should include these Health Maintenance Organizations like Edgar Kaiser's Permenente thing." President Nixon : "Let me ask you, you know I'm not too keen on any of these damn medical programs." Ehrlichman : " This is a private enterprise one." Nixon : "Well, that appeals to me." Ehrlichman : " Edgar Kaiser is running this permanente thing for profit. And the reason he can do it... I had Edgar Kaiser come in, and talk to me about this... And I went into some depth... All the incentives are toward less medical care, because the less care they give them, the more money they make." Nixon : "Fine." Ehrlichman : " And the incentives run the right way." Nixon : "Not bad."

An Entertaining Film

[mlkyusuf · 6/10 · 13 June 2007]

While it may not win any awards, when looked at purely as a film, this documentary by Michael Moore is an entertaining and interesting one. It presents all the facts (whether you consider them to be biased or not) in the typical Michael Moore style (heavy on the sarcasm and wit) that we've all gotten used to by now and in an easy to digest format. As this is IMDb and people should rate movies based on their values as films rather than opinions expressed, I think it's best to refrain from mentioning Mr. Moore's obvious view on the American health care system. However, if at all you're interested in learning more about the system or simply want to watch an entertaining documentary, I suggest you go out and watch this film when it arrives in cinemas near you.

Watch it

[jmlecun · 10/10 · 16 June 2007]

I've watched all of Moore's documentaries and this one is far and away the best. There's none of the polemical fireworks of Fahrenheit; it's a film that examines people's lives and Moore simply allows lots of space for their stories to be told. This is a very balanced look at the American health care system and is a documentary with optimism and hope despite being very bleak in places. Moore tries really hard I think to talk to American audiences in his films - he frames his issues with wit and a deep sense of wanting things to change. Hopefully, this one will have some effect in America where it is most needed. I've heard that even Republicans have come out of cinemas moved by its message and perhaps a little disturbed by what it has to say about some elements of the American system. The masterstroke of the film is the revelation that Moore secretly paid the medical bills for the wife of his most strident web critic. It is timed perfectly at the end of the film and is a truly moving moment in the film. The fact that Moore moves some people to seemingly despise him for being motivated by a love of his country and filled at the same time with a sense of rage at certain injustices confirms not only that he is doing something right but also warns us about how screwed up people's values are. A film for lovers of truth everywhere.

Yeah... Ummm... OK.

[monimm18 · 7/10 · 26 July 2007]

I like Michael Moore. I liked him since I saw "Roger and Me", many years ago. I admire his compassion for the less fortunate and his tenacity in going after the big sharks and exposing the rotten parts (and people) in our country's system. What I don't like is feeling manipulated. Moore's intentions are the best, his points are always good, but the execution is not that great, mostly in this film. He takes too many things out of context or exaggerates them, and in the end he overshoots the whole thing. Which reduces the impact of the film for viewers on both sides of the issue, in my opinion.

***SPOILERS***

For ex. the Havana hospital scene: a bit of a sham, in my opinion - maybe an involuntary one, but Moore should have gathered more facts before he decided to believe the fairy tale he and his companions lived in Havana. I grew up in a communist country. Had a group of American patients with cameras shown up at the best hospital in my country's capital city - like the one Moore went to - the best possible care (reserved only for the high rank Party officials and NEVER available to the general population) would have been given them, if only to keep appearances and show to the world, specifically the US, that the communist system "works".

This would have been a better documentary, with a stronger impact, had Moore relied more on statistics and scientific data, and less on emotional individual stories. Still, it's worth seeing - it has many eye-opening moments...

Pretty much what I expected

[janne-junnonen · 8/10 · 20 June 2007]

Having read all the comments and reviews, this movie was pretty much what I expected. Moore does a really good job in making his point.

What bothered me a little was his black & white view of the healthcare industry - either it is public OR private. In reality, many western countries have a "hybrid" system. For example here in Finland we have a pretty reasonable public healthcare system (which by the way is not totally free for the patient, albeit very cheap), but in addition, we also have private clinics, if you want even faster service and are willing to pay extra. You can also get an insurance from private companies, which provides extra financial support and/or service in the private clinics in case of illness. Also some workplaces and institutes have free doctors.

A portion of the cost of medicines is substituted by the government in either case, and there is an annual limit after which they are totally substituted.

I think it would be pretty straightforward to establish this kind of system in the US. There is no need to socialize healthcare TOTALLY. There is no need for the insurance company to "go" (as Moore put it), they just need to step aside a little and stop being the main authority. Also, if insurance companies have to compete with FREE (health care), there is only one thing they can do: offer really good service!

Sicko, and my upcoming personal experience with Insurance

[mercuryix-1 · 7/10 · 8 July 2007]

I would like to give Sicko 10 out of 10, as I believe in its message 100%; that the insurance industry in this country is exploitive. Michael Moore doesn't delve deeply into statistics as he knows the American public doesn't have patience for them, so he relies on anecdote. Of course, he goes too far in presenting one side, when he would actually win more converts if he presented both, and let the public decide for themselves. My personal experience: I work in the insurance field, and I am about to leave; it was only the insurance that made me stay. I am about to take a test to determine if I am diabetic; a little late, as I am about to lose my insurance. Now I may change my mind; because, as his movie states correctly, if I am found to be diabetic, I will never get insurance again! I will find out just in time for my insurance to run out.

So what do I do? Get the test and find out I am diabetic, & not get insurance again, or don't get tested and live with my gradually worsening state of health? Without insurance, I can't afford treatment for diabetes. So I may need to cancel my appointment (so the insurance company doesn't find out) and wait until I get insurance again, which may be never. Meanwhile, untreated diabetes only gets worse. And if they find out I suspected I'm diabetic, the new insurer will cancel me anyway.

That is the place I am in. I wonder how many millions of Americans are in the same place for different reasons? This is the richest country on earth. We are "Number One". And this is the way we have to live? In fear of our health? Only in America....

And Michael Moore's critics call him "UnAmerican". The question of Sicko is: What is American? Supporting capitalism to the point of sacrificing life and health (hopefully others', not yours), or saying this is a pathetic situation, and we need to do better for our people?

By the way, did I mention I work in insurance? Right now my company is bribing the Governator to throw Californians a bone & insure the poor. Awwww, how sweet. They've put hundreds of thousands of dollars in this millionaire Governor's pocket. Again, what a sweet gesture. Do you think they're doing it out of charity, or because they see Californians waking up and getting angry? So they're throwing you a bone. And if you accept the bone my company is throwing you (i.e., the current proposed scam), a bone is all you're gonna get.

Go see Sicko, however biased you think Michael Moore is.

Why is Health care so horrendous in the states?!?

[Singh1699 · 4/10 · 7 July 2007]

Michael Moore does a fantastic job in opening the debate about our flawed health care system. What he forgets to do is follow up and explain why our system is so flawed. An explanation would have the viewers better understand how to rectify the situation and start moving towards a more Nationalized Health care System. Unlike the UK, Canada, and France; US citizens refuse to pay higher taxes. This alone forces our government to allow for the privatization of health care that we see in our nation today. Doctors refused to have their salaries decreased due to such astronomical malpractice insurance charges which are so high only because the nations citizens are more than ready to take our health care professionals to court for frivolous suites. Though we point the finger at our capital, what we need to realize is that it is our direct actions that result in our horrible health care system. If Moore were to touch on that, this movie would be fabulous.

California Nurses Association executive director Rose Ann DeMoro summed it up...

[spreston-1 · 24 May 2007]

"Sicko" Diagnoses a Cure for the Nation

Perhaps the exponents of expediency just haven't met the rescue heroes of September 11 still plagued by debilitating respiratory illnesses, but unable to get the healthcare they need in the country they volunteered to help in our hour of despair.

Or the machinist and his newspaper editor wife who had to sell their home and move into a cramped room in their daughter's house when his heart attacks and her cancer caused their medical bills to soar.

Or the woman whose husband died after their insurer refused to authorize a bone marrow transplant from his younger brother because it was "experimental."

They are among the stars of Michael Moore's riveting new film "Sicko," that we were privileged to be among 50 people in an intimate private screening in New York a few days before the premiere in Cannes Saturday night where it was the hottest ticket in town and greeted with well-deserved rave reviews.

Many of those in the New York audience, the real life stars of "Sicko," were brought to tears by a film and filmmaker who viewed their lives with a lot more humanity than the insurance companies who had treated them with such calculated disregard.

The people, who, as one industry whistleblower says in the film, didn't just "fall through the cracks." They were deliberately thrown overboard.

Cast aside by the same insurance giants that far too many ostensible reformers think we should reward for their greed by funneling them hundreds of millions dollars more.

"Sicko" is not just an indictment of an indefensible healthcare industry in the U.S. It's a rejoinder for those who think we can fix the soulless monster by tinkering with an unconscionable system that puts us further in thrall to those who created the crisis.

Following the screening, Moore put it as simply as possible: the private insurance companies "have to go."

Unlike too many of our friends in the progressive community, Moore did not go for the easy way out.

There are no calls here for forcing individuals to buy unaffordable, junk insurance. Or handing over ever more tax dollars to those who profit by denying care, and whose biggest accomplishment, says Moore, "is buying our U.S. Congress" to protect their wealth and stranglehold over our health.

There are no cynical ad homonyms to not let "the perfect be the enemy of the good" - the last refuge of the politicians desperate to convince us, and perhaps themselves as well, that the Faustian compromises they propose will all be OK. Tell it to the worker in "Sicko" who had to choose between restoring one severed finger for $60,000 or another for $12,000.

No, Moore doesn't feel he has to temporize with people's lives or accede to those whose goal, he says, is to "frighten and demoralize" people so they are unable to fight.

Moore doesn't think the problem is "too much" medical care, or people who want to over utilize the system by spending hours waiting in an Emergency Room. Among the rare gems here is one of Richard Nixon's taped conversations, in the Oval Office with John Ehrlichman on the eve of Nixon's 1971 law promoting managed care. You can rest assured, Ehrlichman promises Nixon, "all the incentives are towards less medical care."

"Sicko" has no trouble finding a solution. It can be found in the rest of the world. There's no hand wringing here for the ideologues who are already attacking Moore for promoting the alternative- medical systems he visits to Canada, England, France, and even Cuba, countries, says Moore, where when it comes to the nation's health, they know the distinction between the "we" and the "me.".

Here's what Moore found. Care "doesn't depend on your premiums, it depends on your needs," the film reports. You don't have to check your health security at the door, or mortgage your future when at your most sick and vulnerable.

Moore's not even afraid of the inevitable complaints about "socialized" medicine. "Back home in America we're socializing lots of things," "Sicko" finds, among them our fire and police service, Social Security checks, and even the library.

At a time when the apologists of accommodation are promoting the lowest common denominator, Moore most of all offers a vision and hope.

"Not all of us have a kid in Iraq, but all of us have been to see a doctor, or paid for a prescription, or have elderly parents," he said after the screening. To put it another way, there's no free marketers in hospital beds, just patients.

The health care crisis "will bring us together," says Moore. And, I'd add, "Sicko" will help us get there.

see www.CalNurses.org for more!

A massive wake up call for an entire nation

[y2john · 10/10 · 17 June 2007]

I personally have never really been a fan of Michael Moore. I find him to be an attention whore more than a fact teller. This piece is no different, but with a twist. He comes with easily checkable facts & lots of them.

Any American who watches this will (unless they are a CEO of an HMO) be appalled by what they see. Any person from Canada, United Kingdom, France or even Cuba who may see this will be thankful of the system they have in place.

The American health system has been openly criticized for a long time because they don't have Universal healthcare. After seeing the horror stories of the individuals in this story, including the deaths of people with "coverage" in the U.S. it makes me thankful for being a Canadian citizen.

Of course, you may say "well what do you know, you don't live here" & while this may be true, I have lots of family & friends who DO live in the U.S. who hate their system, have had problems themselves with their HMOs & on at least two instances I know of, have travelled back up here for their medical needs to be met.

The healthcare industry is shown to be frauds in this film. They are in my opinion, pathetic. If I were a Doctor in the U.S.A I would be ashamed to admit that was my profession after this story comes out, and if I worked for an HMO I would probably want to commit suicide after seeing the harm that you have caused undeserving people by denying simply basic medical coverage.

Michael goes to 4 countries with Universal healthcare coverage, including a longtime alleged nemesis Cuba. In all instances he finds that there is great medical coverage, FOR FREE. Ontop of that, medications are either free, or almost free compared to U.S.A. In Cuba a woman paid less than 5 CENTS for a medication that she was charged $120 for back home, while in Britain there is a $10 (approx) maximum charge on any prescription. In France, if you have a medical condition you are paid by the government & the employer to rest up. The myth of long lines to see a Dr. in Canada are blown away.

Simply put, this IMO is the most damning piece of film ever put together on the Americal healthcare system & frankly, it should make every American irate. It should certainly become a hot point topic for the 2008 elections & the American people should refuse to accept anything less than a comparable system to what we here in Canada have, what the British have, French have & Gasp, the Cubans have.

I might not like Michael Moore, but I respect him a lot after this film.

A Ghoulish System

[spiderman_53703 · 10/10 · 16 June 2007]

SICKO is right on target. The US is 37th in the world in terms of quality of health care--slightly ahead of Slovenia, but behind Costa Rica--but number one in terms of per capita health care spending, or $7,000 per person per annum.

Michael Moore chose the title "Sicko" for the movie, but what I think he meant by this was "ghoul," which is an Arabic word, among so many in English. In Muslim folklore, a ghoul was an evil spirit believed to plunder graves and feed on corpses.

What is the for-profit, insurance industry run, so-called "health care" system, then, if not a truly evil racket run by conscienceless, psychopathic ghouls who feed on human flesh? And the only way you combat this system--long buttressed by the government, the insurance companies and the AMA--is to take the profit motive out of it: it is an immoral motive when it comes to people's health and their lives.

Michael Moore wants to take the insurance companies out of the equation and wants to regulate health care like a public utility (a public good)as it is done in practically all other developed countries.

He points out that all this fear of "socialized" service is nonsense: our fire departments are run as a public good, and so are police departments.

Would we allow the bottom line to determine whether or not the fire truck went to a home to attend to an ongoing fire? Well, in another movie--the Canadian documentary "The Corporation"--it is pointed out that until very recently (as late as the 1950s)--that is the way it was in the US: if your house caught fire, and you didn't have a particular fire brigade's medallion on your house, the fire truck went right past your house and didn't extinguish the fire.

Do Americans want to go back to those days? Why do they allow it when it comes to health care? A deeply Christian sense of justice permeates the movie: Moore is a Catholic Christian who believes, as the New Testament says, that when we leave our mortal coil and arrive at the pearly gates, Jesus will ask us only two questions: "When I was hungry, did you feed me?," "When I was homeless, did you take me in?" As Valgard Haugland, the leader of Norway's Christian Democratic Party and the cabinet minister for children and family affairs, told Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid: "Americans like to talk about family values. We have decided to do more than talk; we use our tax revenues to pay for family values." (Reid, T.R. The United States of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy. New York: Penguin Books, 2004. pp. 152-153) Through anecdote after anecdote about how this question is tackled in other industrialized countries, Moore points the way to what a just system would look like, and how unjust the US system truly is.

It's worst than Romania!

[siderite · 9/10 · 20 June 2007]

I've seen a lot of movies that either make fun or try to exemplify American stupidity, but none convinced me of it unless I've seen Sicko. How can you people put up with this?! The medical system portrayed in this film is worst than here in Romania!

Basically, it tells about the medical system being bought and used by insurance companies to trick people into paying huge sums of money for any medical care, regardless of them having a medical insurance or not. Then there are examples of the Canadian, French, British and Cuban health care systems, which are, as I think they should be, free and of high quality.

And the logic is very simple, even if one chooses to disregard the highly emotional examples presented by Moore: people who win money from not taking care of you will not take care of you.

Take care!

Moore hits the nail on the head. Luckily he won't need medical care.

[bike752 · 10/10 · 20 June 2007]

This may be Moore's best work to date. While so many bash Moore as being un-American, the truth is, he is a patriot. His "crime" appears to be trying to make America a better country. Watching this movie you can see how far we have to go. America is so far behind virtually every other industrialized country in health care availability and other social programs that it would seem this country is doomed if things don't change soon. As a former member of the British Parliament states in the movie, the governments in countries like England and France fear the people while in America the people fear the government. That about says it all.

It is time for change in the is country and hopefully this movie will be an impetus.

The Most Lopsided Of All Michael Moore's Films

[fwomp · 6/10 · 20 February 2008]

If you have at least two marbles rolling around in your head, you can't watch SICKO and not realize the extreme lopsidedness of this well-filmed documentary. I should preface that comment with the fact that I've worked in the medical field for over two decades and know full-well that the insurance system in our country (the U.S.) is broken.

Having enjoyed Michael Moore's previous documentaries (BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and FAHRENHEIT 9/11), there's always been a problem with his representation of only one side of the issues. Granted that "the other side" pushes back in different ways (governmental regulations, etc.), I feel Mr. Moore could improve his standing as an upright denizen of justice (as he know doubt sees himself) if he would pull in opposing views. Bowling and Fahrenheit did some of that, but not much. And here with Sicko, Mr. Moore doesn't do it at all.

The biggest problem is that Mr. Moore shows the downtrodden in America, those on the lower income scale (mostly), or those without homes (the disoriented lady dropped off on a corner by a cab driver after being released from a hospital), but doesn't show this same economic class when comparing insurance related issues in socialized countries (Great Britain and France). In countries with socialized medicine, Mr. Moore focuses his lens on the middle or upper class, making it seem that this is the epitome of what the U.S. lacks. Socialized medicine is shown as the golden chalice, something that will fix our ailing medical and insurance industries. The fact is that socialized medicine probably IS what the U.S. needs, but we also need to see the downside to it. Taxes will be affected heavily, wait times for various tests will probably increase, and incomes for doctors and other healthcare professionals will be curtailed. The amazing thing to me is that I don't find any of these things off-putting. I'm willing to pay extra taxes, have increased patient loads for tests, and to have my salary dropped ...if everyone in our great nation could be covered.

For all its flaws, Sicko is entertaining. And it makes anyone who watches it think about how messed up our healthcare systems are. Seeing Cuba's minimalist medical practices is fun to watch but Mr. Moore doesn't show their limited medical supplies. Watching him and his entourage go to GitMo to try and get free healthcare was laughable and a bit stupid, though (all he needed to do to prove that there is a socialized system already in the U.S. is to go to a federal prison ...but that wouldn't have been as dramatic).

If Mr. Moore wants to increase his exposure and retain a semblance of authority on anything he films, he'll need to improve his standards as far as showing the issues from multiple viewpoints and multiple socio-economic households.

A softer Moore, but a more efficient one.

[LorienTheFirstOne · 10/10 · 16 June 2007]

For those of you that seem to get "stuck" on HOW Moore chooses to pass a message to viewers, and thus mainly missing the message itself....you will find this film more to your liking. Moore here is more substance and documentary, than what some people would call "Rambo revolutionary". The documentary examines the US Health system, and then indirectly compares it to Canada's, France's and other countries.The differences are obvious.In the U.S if you cant pay the huge amounts of money required, you get no help. In these other countries, exactly the opposite. You pay nothing. And if you think you are left with no money, because of taxes, you're wrong. The sad thing is, that countries with much less development and resources can offer a better overall health system. It IS true that you can judge a people from how it treats, it's most unfortunate citizens. The conclusions are indisputable. The only thing i was hoping for, was some more heat on Pharmaceutical companies (major heat is on Insurance ones). Maybe in Sicko 2 , or the extras. A MUST see!

NHS not as good as made out

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 31 October 2007]

I watched the scenes filmed at Hammersmith Hospital with great interest.What the film does not mention is that there is a big private healthcare industry in the UK to avoid having to use the NHS.This means that you can get treatment and consultations immediately instead of having to wait weeks or months as you could do on the NHS.There have also been problems with the cleanliness of hospitals with infections by MRSA rife.However with our companies such as BUPA you just need to get the OK from your doctor and phone up the company for confirmation that you are covered for the treatment.it is a system that works well,However with all its problems i would much prefer our NHS to the horror story to what is happening in America.

Canadian Healthcare

[pjgrease · 9/10 · 19 June 2007]

Please pull the silver spoon out of your ass, and God help you if you ever actually become ill. As a Canadian citizen who became ill on American soil without my healthcare coverage that extends to other countries i would have had a medical bill for $6,000 for the following treatment hospital bed, 10 minutes with a doctor, blood sampling and signing the forms upon my release. Perhaps i might have had a 45 minute wait in Canada but at least it wouldn't have cost the same amount as my first year university tuition. And what would i have done if my insurance company had later denied my claim? It is a governments responsibility to care for its citizens, America has failed and although the Canadian system may not be perfect (please remove your rose coloured glasses) its not leaving millions of HMO recipients holding the bag. It is also not bankrupting families of sick children having to take out 2nd mortgages just so their children can see a doctor. You may not agree with past films produced by Mr. Moore, but this film is not political in my mind it is simply rational. Something needs to change perhaps this is a start

More Propaganda from Moore.

[SweetRoscoe · 6/10 · 6 July 2007]

I have to make several qualifications:

1. I enjoyed the film, and I don't mind the debate...Moore was at times funny, especially when dealing with Canadians (how can you not be?) 2. I work in the health-care field. Moore's distortions, misdirections, and omissions were glaring.

The film itself was entertaining. I did feel that he went long, and could have easily cut the much of the "french socialism rules" portion. While he may make french socialism look appealing, a more realistic look at France could have included their near 20% unemployment (much higher if you are under 34 or a minority) and low productivity. Plus, isn't this film supposed to be about health-care?

But how does Moore distort the truth?

First glaring omission was that he left out any "the other side" entirely in this debate. If the actions of the insurance companies or Doctors were so egregious, he should have salivated at the prospects of putting a spokesperson for the industry on the camera about some of the cases he presented....after all, his contention is that the insurance company "caused these people's deaths." How could they explain this away? Sadly is, the only reason they couldn't was that Moore doesn't give them the opportunity to.

If we are searching for truth Mr. Moore, why not present two sides of the story?

We are shown one individual who dies....DIES, 5 days after he's denied approval for a bone marrow transplant, to which he had the "perfect donor" in his little brother. The insurance company surely has blood on it's hand after denying him this "life saving surgery."

Or does it? First, we never get the whole story. What stage renal cancer did this individual have? What was his prognosis? Did he receive conventional treatment (there are a myriad of conventional treatments out there...so how did he find himself at a point of searching for experimental treatments?)? Was there complicating factors?

What was omitted seems to suggest to this observer a very sad case. He probably had a very aggressive or was at a very advanced stage of the disease that was not responding to any conventional treatment. Sadly, when the disease advances to a certain point, and treatments are proving to be ineffective, the prognosis for the individual is certainly death.

Bone marrow transplant in the case of renal cancer, even very advanced stages is certainly a new one to me. To suggest that it's experimental is an understatement to say the least. That the surgery was even offered at this late stage is mystifying, even. With the individual dying 5 days after his final denial (even considering the purported 3 week prognosis offered by his doctors) suggest that his condition was probably known to be terminal for some time.

No countries health-care system, despite it's "ranking," would have likely offered this option to the patient and his family. I feel that sadly, the board of trustee's were made to be the bad guys in a case where the patient and his wife were simply in stages of denial, including bargaining and anger, and had to be the ones that gave them the sad news that "no" because he was dying.

But, it wouldn't be like Moore to look at the whole picture...especially if it doesn't work toward his agenda. To add race into this case was even better (But Moore could have pointed out that in the US, blacks have better survival rates than whites with this particular disease).

Was using cases like this to create a false impression of US health-care the exception in this movie? No, it was the norm. Many of the cases used had omissions similar to this. Maybe he was afraid of HIPPA? Why did he not make the case what kind of treatment these individuals would have received in other countries? Would the deceased patient above have received a bone marrow transplant in Canada?

But this is Moore. He doesn't really make films to make honest contributions to debate, but to make money. He knows his base of fans will eat his stuff up, lining his own pockets with millions of dollars in the process. Does he make stuff they'll enjoy? You bet.

OK... But you're lying about the UK NHS

[josevcutts · 4/10 · 22 December 2007]

I was a huge Mike Moore Fan, HUGE! Sent him emails of support and praise. Got on his mailing list and always responded with a thank you note for informing me of the maladies that lurk in the USA.

Then came Sicko.

Mike you've let us, The British People, down. Way down. You've sold us out for your own cause, to highlight the negatives of your own land, and it's a sad, sorry end to the last 12 years of my relationship with you - you as film maker, me as audience - because now I've gotta question everything else you've said, and I so willingly believed.

I had waited for Sicko with baited breath, preminiscing an edifying and satirical boot up the over paid behinds of those who've miss-managed the USA health systems, or the even more maniacal stock jockying over in the corrupt world of insurance which cost many innocent lives for the sake of a few dollars' profit. I'd foreseen Mike flippin' the bird to those who've hidden behind the general public's ignorance, murdering and destroying lives for money.

And so it was, the film starts great, we see the sick twisted mind of the arch US Capitalists, scheming new ways to cheat the proletariat from what he's owed. We see the evil of corrupt politics, going back as far as Nixon. We see it all in a matter of fact way because it must be true - Mike's telling us! We know Mike, we've loved him for years. He's been the fly in Bush's evil potions since he cheated and schemed his way into his job as the world's most powerful man (and if you believe he's the most powerful man, then I have some swamp land I'd like to sell ya to build on - it's guys like Mike, who can oust the likes of Bush with their films, and education of the masses.)

But then, alas and alack, Mike moves to England for a spot of like by like comparison, where everything's free and cozy and charming and easy, and people actually get paid - that's right folks, you heard me right - get paid, their expenses for visiting the hospitals. I was almost a Sicko myself by this stage! Since when are drugs free for working people? I paid £6.85 for ten tiny pills that cost less than a penny to make by some poor Cooley working in abhorrent conditions in India for less than third what he'd get if he came and did the same job in the UK. Since when do working people get expenses paid? Even to those on minimum wage?

Why Mike, WHY??? Why did you show us a maternity ward in a lovely area of Middle England/Home counties, but not show the real conditions real people have to put up??? Were your researches negating the challenges of filming in hostile conditions?

Why did you leave out telephone number sized wages for the top brass who've so badly miss-managed this shinning example of the egalitarian ideal into a sprawling mass of superbugs, while the frontline staff are on barely more than your average Macdonalds worker after 3 years at college?

Did you forget MRSA Mike? I can't, my neighbour died from it. He was relatively healthy when he went into hospital, but he came out in a pine box.

Did you forget past pay offs to the top brass, after they've messed up so badly you would trust them to scrape sprouts off the xmas dinner plates, just?

Did you forget the postcode lottery? Women dying because they live only a few miles away from where if they'd been smart enough (it is, of course, their fault) to move to before getting breast cancer, they would've been saved?

What was up with Tony Benn (a truly wonderful man, please don't get me wrong here), why didn't you tell him, Tony? Or maybe you did and a bit of creative editing took out the stuff that makes the British NHS more saleable.

Did you forget about the £8 billion set aside for negligence pay outs?

Did you forget about waiting lists for vital operations? Did you forget we also have a private sector? And, just like in The Home of The Brave and The Land of The Free, you don't wait for an operation if you've got £/$.

Or did you just forget to look into them? Did you come and spend time in the UK Health System? Trust me Mike, it sucks. But it didn't do 20 years ago. 20 years ago it was everything you said it was now.

Did you forget these things, Mike, hah? Hah?

Or did you just need to highlight to Americans how greener the grass is on the other side of the pond? Because my American chums, it simply ain't so rosey here, not if you're working class, poor and from here originally. In fact the truth is, it's a shambles. We had one of the finest health services on earth, then disastrous governments after disastrous governments killed the wonderful white dove that was once so envied.

Mike, I'm crestfallen. I believed all you had to tell me, but now I have to question the veracity of every single sentence. The last 12 years together seemed so wonderful, so inspiring, so funny and yes, made me feel affection for you, only now do I see it's all been a sham. The emails and messages I sent you (or someone pretending to be you) on myspace, and the other notes of praise, can you please return them.

You've lost a fan Mike, shame on you.

You'll have lost many more by the time the British public gets round to seeing Sicko.

I'm off to do some campaigning for Bush - he never tried to sell me lies about the NHS.