Living in a third world country, who could honestly think that we can compare or even be better off than a first world country? People see the U.S. as a way to their hopes and dreams, Sicko may change this viewpoint that has long been a stature in the Philippines. Sicko, by the very hated or very liked Michael Moore, gives us a look at the abysmal state of U.S. medical health care, more specifically about health care insurance and its implementation. It might just make us see that some places may just be plain deceiving, the American Dream or even not.
The documentary starts off showing people who did not have health care insurance. They were doing surgery on themselves and even had to choose which finger to sew back on when more than one was cut off. But this is not the focus of the film, it shows people who have health care insurance as not being better off as these people who did not have it. People who had insurance were still thrown off the streets, got rejected applications due to unscrupulous and erroneous reasons given by these so-called health care companies and it even shows how people became broke due to this insurance policies. The film also includes showing countries that have free universal health care; a social health care system that the U.S. always deemed lower than their system. To no surprise, these countries, even a third world country such as Cuba, were doing better off than the Americans.
The film in conclusion shows how much stupid people can get due to money and greed. Capitalism is not the Utopian solution for all of humanity people and this is the proof. The film was really effective in showing the problem of health care insurance in the U.S. even though Michael Moore gets over-the-top in some scenes and stunts in the film. Terrorists that these Americans condemned were even getting better health care than Americans who helped in 9/11. How twisted can one irony become. Watch this film, have an open mind and it can take you to a world just depressing in its own right. The dream has been shattered.
Rating: 4 reels
Why you should watch it:
- it really a mind-blowing experience as you see how much depressing one country can get.
- a quite accurate look at the helath care system in the U.S.
Why you should not watch it:
- might be too over-the-top for some.
- it somewhat gives a sense that some of the facts might be exaggerated from the truth.
hi, haven't seen sicko yet but i'm planning on downloading a copy :)
i'm a regular visitor, dropper, and a fan. i like the way you write your reviews and i really think you should be given a recognition. so i'm giving you an arte y pico award. here's my post about it.
http://www.chorva.net/?p=95
write more reviews please :) see you around!
I really like Michael Moore, and I can't wait to see this film. I do believe that there are other countries getting better health care than we are here in the U.S.,I guess the real question is, are Americans willing to pay the price to have universal health care? This sounds like a call for higher taxes, wouldn't you agree?
Hi Chorva! It's nice to hear that our hard work here at Reel Advice has bore some fruit. It's good to know that some people really appreciate our work.
As for our reviews, we will try to keep up with all the movies showing every single week. It's quite hard to make time when we also have our real jobs at hand.
BTW, TY for the award! Vit and I really, really appreciate it! :)
Hi Ria!
From the movie, Americans seem to be brainwashed into thinking universal health care is a scam and will lead ultimately to failure. It even tells there that Americans see universal health care in a communist light making it more repulsive for them. Hopefully this is not the real case.
As for the higher taxes, if Americans get a better, secure, unbiased and always ready health care due to this, then why not? Personally, we here at Reel Advice believe that no monetary value can replace one's health and ultimately one's life.
I did see Sicko right when it came out. Our health care system in the US is sad. It is horrible the way people are treated and it's horrible when you have to go bankrupt just because you got sick. Or die because you don't have the right insurance. I think we have a lot of smart people in this country and we could come up with a creative solution that is beneficial to all. But only if the powerful insurance companies no longer call all the shots.
Hi dineometerdeb!
We totally agree with what you said. It just isn't right to put a monetary on someone's life. But beyond the insurance companies, doesn't the U.S. government need to do something themselves too? They were the ones in the first place who caused the whole fiasco right? And they are still the ones who are supporting this kind of health care system model.
I, too, wrote a post about this movie and how warped the American Healthcare System is, entitled "God Bless American't". I honestly think that the only thing that will help is to move to a different country.
Hi Brandi,
If you only knew how Filipinos are so obsessed with the American Dream. Every Filipino should watch this just so they realize that the grass may not be greener on the other side. Brain drain has been a major problem here for years now.
It's ironic how you Americans are the ones who want to move out of your country while our countrymen dreams to enter yours.
Thanks for commenting on our review of Sicko.
By the way, we really wish you luck on your plight right now. Hope you get well! It's such a brave thing to accept your sickness alone more so blog about it and let other people know!
Aaah, Michael Moore - provocative, truth twisting, populistic - despite all I like him. USA needs a slap time from time. As a health insurance dealer in Toronto term life I feel pretty involved in this health care battle. Canada was described as a health care heaven (with Cuba :), however, I can imagine good director would be able to make horror story about our delayed health care. It's a matter of the point of view, priorities and used movie "manipulation" tools :)
Take care!
Lorne
Hi Life Insurance Canada!
We get your point. It's easy for people to manipulate films, documentaries or whatever to their liking. That's why there is a thing called "bias".
For us, beyond American Health Care or what Michael Moore wanted to convey in his documentary is that this film showed us that things like this DO happen to real people. It's as if there is something wrong that this can happen to anybody, heightened more that it was from one of the world's powerful nations!