Sicko

Directed by: Michael Moore
Starring: Documentary (no "name" actors)
Running Time: 2h 03min

Michael Moore's run of success in the documentary field was unprecedented, so it came as no surprise that his latest outing, Sicko, did not drum up the same box office, nor critical acclaim as its predecessors. What is ironic, is that it is perhaps the most important film he's made concerning the woes and inadequacies of his homeland.

Fresh off the success of the Bush bashing Fahrenheit 9/11, and the previous gun society questioning Bowling for Columbine, Moore sets his sights on the profit pushing insurance providers in a pay per patient health care system. You would think that he's settled on a villain we can all agree on, avoiding the divisive responses he's had in the past. Yet by doing so, he creates a documentary that is devoid of the humour, the fun, and the sauciness that has become a hallmark of his work. Sicko is too dire, depressing, and despite his best attempts, distant for us. It just doesn't seem to have the relevance or timeliness of his other films. A backwards health care system in what is supposed to be the leading country of the civilized world is not news to us. It's just sad and unfortunate, which is the feeling this documentary leaves us with.

Moore is much better when he's using irony and humour to prove a point. His attempt in this film is to bring 9/11 volunteers to Cuba to get the treatment they can't seem to get, at least at an affordable price, in the country they were volunteering to defend. However, the sick people that are interviewed, escorted, and interrogated, feel like they aren't in on Moore's joke. Even worse, they come across as convenient puppets for Moore, as his questioning, dramatic pauses, and hovering camera framing position them too much as helpless victims, when in fact, Moore's promise has always been offering a voice for the little, working class guy.

Still, the subject matter is interesting, if not well worn. The highlights have to be Moore's comparison of other countries' health care systems. Just the disbelief on the faces of people abroad is priceless; how they cannot comprehend a health system that denies procedures or pharmaceuticals for those that need them, at reasonable rates, if at any cost at all. If Moore could channel that nonchalant disbelief, instead of a heavy handed sorrow, Sicko would be easier to swallow.

Grade: B