Sicko!

AT THE SCHOOL where I teach we have a cinema that plays recent releases in English. On Tuesday the other 2nde teachers (think sophomores) and I took our students to see Sicko since we are dealing with a unit on world health issues. Imagine 175 (mostly) French students watching a movie about the US health care system. Ouch!

I won't take time to write extensively about my thought on the movie (perhaps you want to mention some of your thought in the comments section!), but I will make these generalizations about the film:

• I understand Michael Moore is going to be Michael Moore and he is going to produce a film that is stimulating, funny, controversial, well-made, entertaining, and -- partly propaganda.
• This film, like most of Moore's films, raises more questions than it answers, but it is also better (although perhaps less 'entertaining') that some of his previous works. In fact, I'd argue it's his best film.
• It is quite clear that the US may be a difficult place to be if you are any combination of old, poor, and sick. The system is not working and something needs to be done to fix it.
• While insurance companies are not evil -- they certainly are making a lot of money these days. A hell of a lot of money!
• The issue of health care should transcend politics and it's a shame that it doesn't. Is it not an issue of basic human collective responsibility? (yikes, my conservative friends aren't going to like that!)
• This film makes France look better than heaven! I could quibble with several of his points on that front, that's for sure.
• Like a review in Salon said, 'at the very least, he's raised a warning flag that shouldn't be ignored.'

What do you think? Did anyone else see it?