Movie Details
| Title: | Sicko | |
| Director: | Michael Moore | |
| Year: | 2007 | |
| Genre: | Documentary | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 06.13.07 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (0)
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 06.13.07 | Friend's House | Michael Moore... I have somewhat complicated feelings toward his movies. I think they're very well done and express his conviction well and he shouldn't be faulted for making movies about his opinion, but I do think the tendancy of the audience toward believing his movies to be fair and balanced truth is disconcerting and as a documentarian he fills a lot of the spotlight (no pun intended) leaving a group of equally talented filmmakers whose work is just as evocative and also closer to "pure" documentary but suffers from being less controversial. I think a lot of people equate documentaries with Michael Moore films when in a lot of senses of the word they're really not. They are however pretty popular and his films do stir conversation (although I'm not sure how much the gun laws have changed in this country since Bowling for Columbine and I bet kerry wishes Fahrenheit 9/11 did a little more with the people of America) and if you happen to agree with what he's saying then it feels exciting for someone to put up with the death threats and hate mail to stand up and say these things. So for the record I enjoyed Bowling for Columbine s a movie, can't remember if I've seen any of his stuff prior to that, and Fahrenheitt 9/11 was, although I agreed with most of what he was saying, a rushed and hurried film that showed its agenda on its sleeve and wasn't above taking cheap shots which made it easier for its detractors to dismiss it. I didn't think it was that good a movie. So now he's taking on the health industry, which is maybe an even easier get than guns. Gee, I hate paying for insurance that will try to get out of taking care of me too! This guy is on to something! Somehow I don't think I'll see too many "average citizens" protesting this film. I have no problem believing a gaggle of politicians (especially those specifically pointed out as taking money to go ahead with bills that somehow help the insurance and pharmaceutical industries) getting outraged over it, and really have no problem seeing that either. Stupid politicians. As Usual, Moore's great at manipulating very strong reactions from people. All the stuff with the random people with health problems is heart-breaking then he intercuts that with his wacky adventures abroad discovering free health care pretty much everywhere else on earth. you know he knows the answers to the questions he's asking but it's no less amusing to see his gob all flabbergasted when people keep telling him it's free. But after the specific cases, he gets several people trying to explain why socialized health care works and it comes off as it works in other countries because their people care about each other so therefore it wouldn't work in America because we are all selfish prick bastards. Pretty much the whole movie is designed to make you hate America. But like I said, that's Moores point and he conveys it very very well. The group I watched it with all wanted to marry Canadians after it was over, yet strangely none of us thought this movie would bring about any change (myself included). It's weird how you can agree so much that something is so wrong yet readily accept that there's no way to change it. I think we're living in a very pessimistic time when it comes to government. I see a very very thin similarity to the current state of movies. Now that everyone knows that movies (and politicans) are test-marketted and written by committee with explicit capital-raising motivation and less care about actually doing a good job, a lot of apathy and despair comes from that. I think everybody fantasizes about how great it would be if a real true-blue leader (or studio head) came around like Teddy Roosevelt or Darryl Zanuck and exacted some real change but at the same time we know those guys'd never make it to the top for whatever reason. It's frustrating, especially when you see hippie college chicks crying for impeachment on a street corner and can't help but dismiss them as naive children. Is it the media's fault? The politicians? the process itself or its flagrant corruption? Those are probably all factors but - just like why they keep making terrible sequels and remakes - ultimately the people are responsible. If everyone refuses to see Fantastic Four 2, they won't make a Fantastic Four 3. |
