Camden New Journal - Movies: Sicko

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 25 October 2007

Moore takes a healthy interest in the NHS

SICKO
Directed by Michael Moore
Certificate 12a

THERE is something about Michael Moore that makes me uneasy. Don’t ask me why, because it’s hard to nail down.
His impressive track record of no-holds-barred documentaries on America’s gun culture (Bowling for Columbine) and indictment of the Bush administration (Fahrenheit 9/11) have made him one of America’s crusaders, a watchdog supporting the downtrodden or merely the silent majority.
As such, he has become a hero to many – but a hugely controversial figure to others. Put bluntly, the problem is that Moore appears to have turned into a self-serving publicist, fuelled by a bullish attitude and an ego as big as his waistline.
This latest foray takes our baseball-capped hero into the dubious world of a healthcare system that affects every American who can’t afford private insurance.
He even finds a man who has to choose which of two fingers should be sewn back after an accident, because he can’t afford to pay for both.
Moore’s odyssey takes him to Canada and Europe (including a visit to Arsenal’s Emirates stadium, pictured), using our own NHS as ammunition for his campaign, before ending up in Cuba – where all medical care is free.
Even if his intentions are whiter-than-white, the word manipulation hovers in the wings.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

» Film Times
» Film Reviews
» Buy DVDs
» Rent DVDs