Michael Stays On Message
Written: Aug 05 '07
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Educational, Interesting, Funny, Scary
Cons: Overwrought Cuban treatment scene, Moore looks pale and sickly
The Bottom Line: Everyone should see this movie at least once, no matter what they believe
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| dotcomboy's Full Review: Sicko |
Mr. Moore's methods have been called into question by many. Though Moore friends and foes alike bring up valid criticisms, no one has come within a hundred miles (160 kilometers for you folks in the Old World) of successfully arguing against any of the fundamental messages of his films. No one can deny that fewer and fewer every day disagree that the Iraq War is a fiasco, that corporate greed chews working-class folk up and spits them out, that health insurance has wronged a lot of people, that our violent culture has created monsters like Harris and Klebold. That said, not only has he deliberately mislead interviewees, but he also has omitted or misrepresented somewhat salient details about interviews.
We'll get to Sicko in a minute, but first, I would be remiss in not covering a few important issues. No matter what I say in this review, please keep in mind I'm not from Fox News and I'm not interested in telling you what to think and believe. I encourage you to visit MichaelMoore.com and MooreWatch and google related sites so you can draw your own informed conclusions. Especially read Facts in Mike's Films where every fact stated in his documentaries are painstakingly backed up by cited sources, right down to the "fine French linens."
Now many journalists besides Michael Moore have downright lied about the nature of an interview to get the cooperation of a participant, and I'm sure everyone could be presented with a case in which they would agree that such deception was in the public interest that reporters are supposed to be working for. Most don't have a problem with Dateline NBC throwing pedophiles in jail. But in my opinion Moore has gone too far when he has mislead the audience of the movie about relevant particulars, especially to sensationalize.
In a Fahrenheit 9/11 interview, we, the audience, are made to believe that Michael Moore has gone down in person to Walter Reed and is with Sergeant Peter Damon asking him questions when in fact Moore sent his crew in posing as a crew from NBC. Most disturbing is the implication to the viewer that because Damon is speaking with Moore (which he's not) he is in general agreement with Moore when in fact, at that time, at least, he was in "100% agreement with the President," to use Damon's own words. Of lesser importance, by error of omission we are also lead into thinking that Damon's horrific injuries are from combat when they were from a vehicle maintenance accident. This point is less relevant as his injuries are still a result of Gulf War II.
Just as I find it irrelevant that Cindy Sheehan's son may have disagreed with his mother's views on the Iraq War, I find it equally irrelevant that Damon was deceived to get his cooperation. I am not excusing all cases of this practice, just this one today, as it is, in my opinion, vital to the public interest for people to hear what he had to say. Though I do find it a little distasteful for them to interview him in a rather undignified way, lying in bed practically naked and doped up on tranquilizers getting prepped for surgery, Damon did give permission and was aware of the camera and the fact that this would be on public display. His misleading of Damon is somewhat forgivable, his misleading of the audience is not. A consequence of all this may be that with Sicko I've noticed Moore in the frame with interviewees a lot more than in past films.
One of the first noticeable things in Sicko is Moore looking rather pekid as he profiles, in typical Moore fashion, various people who have suffered injustice at the hands of insurance companies. Particularly harrowing was the somber account of a doctor who worked for a health insurance firm who essentially got paid to deny care to patients. It's very illuminating to see doctors and other staff of hospitals in Canada and Europe laugh when asked about billing-related financial issues, to learn that health care is cheaper in those countries because many barriers to treatment are removed.
I did not know that in France they have brought back the home doctor visit, and the government sends a worker into a newborn's home to assist the mother while the father continues to work. During a dinner conversation, on how much better the French health care system is, with several Americans who have been living in France, Moore wonders if contemporary anti-French sentiment among some Americans hasn't been fostered by those who stand to lose some of their vast fortunes if we adopted some of France's ways.
Moore then takes many of the people profiled at the beginning of the film on a boat trip with the intent to ask the medical staff at Guantanamo Bay, where al-Qaeda gets better healthcare than many Americans. I was shocked to find that an inhaler costing US$120 in America was only the equivalent of US$0.05 in Cuba. The one part of the movie that made me cringe was here of a montage set to a sentimental soundtrack of the Americans getting free healthcare courtesy the people of Cuba. I think it's awesome they got the medical assistance they needed, don't get me wrong, but I swear the scene dragged on for an eternity. That is the thickest I've seen Moore lay it on.
In spite of flaws in some of Moore's style that may or may not be behavioral indicators of personal integrity issues, the work he does is very important and his films make people conscious of vital issues. I shudder to think of a world without Michael Moores and Alex Joneses; these are the real contemporary American patriots, they know there is no democracy without dissent. It's easier to wrap yourself up in the American flag and never question the powers that be; no one will deny millions of real American patriots have paid the ultimate price keeping tyrany at bay, at home and abroad. Our nation's founding fathers committed treason and signed their own death warrants upon declaring our country's independence from the Crown.
The crux of it is Moore speaks up for the little guy, so he remains a hero in my book for now. Please also consider that it is conceivable that Mr. Moore's questionable methods are deliberate. It seems entirely plausible that Moore was intelligent enough to realize ahead of time that the Fahrenheit 9/11 Damon interview would generate controversy. It doesn't make it right, but maybe this was on purpose to remind all of us to take what pundits on both sides say with more of a grain of salt. Maybe this is his way of trying to get us to think for ourselves and not be in 100% agreement with anyone. Most do not want to be idolized, maybe this is his way of keeping fans at arm's length.
Edmund Burke said, "There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men."
Moore closes the film by making a frightening suggestion frequently made people like him and Alex Jones, and that I don't want to believe, but because Burke hit the nail on the head I must be open to the possibility of what they say being true. It is these warnings underscored near the end of all his films that make me think in spite of any flaws he may have, Michael Moore truly is a working class hero, and certainly not evil. In addition, the fact that he is fighting for the God-given rights of the vast majority of whom are on the opposite end of the political economic spectrum from him should add to one's respect for him.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Pacing
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dotcomboy
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Member: Rodney Lewis
Location: Seattle
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 1 member
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