29 Jun 07
SiCKO Film
SiCKO is the new documentary film by director Michael Moore.
The film is an investigation into the American health care system, and the large health insurance companies which control the care in the US contrasting with our own NHS and other countries with universal health care coverage.
Upfront and honest, I will say that all I know about the American health care system comes from SiCKO and Scrubs, the latter being fictional. As such, I am willing for American readers to point out the many flaws and inaccuracies that appear in the film- but for my money it certainly backs up the statement that America is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there.
Moore travels all over the world, like a podgy Mark Twain, looking at the health care systems of Canada, Cuba, France and the UK. The UK section is slightly bemusing, as his choice of interviewee is retired MP Tony Benn. Surrounded by decorated plates, and decaying furniture Benn gives some very interesting comments about democracy and health care, and comes out with one of the best lines in the film:
If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people.
Although the representation of the UK health system is slightly misleading in the time you sit in A&E, "just a few minuets" is not my memory of when I broke my arm, and smashed my head open on a wall.
One scene shows a clumsy redneck who chopped off two of his fingers with a table saw. He is presented with the choice of spending $60,000 on one finger or $12,000 on the other. Moore then toddles over to the UK where a man had his whole hand reattached for nothing. A solid film and one that is significantly less obviously politically motivated than Fahrenheit 9/11. Well worth watching from the safety of outside the UK.
The film is being released today in the US, and as yet there is no release date for the UK. The film was leaked onto the internet earlier this month. Moore, who previously stated his support for internet downloading, denies leaking the video himself and an investigation has been held as to the source of the internet leak.