Even those viewers who are ideologically in sync with Michael Moore can find plenty to critique in his methods: the gimmicks, the deck-stacking, the deliberate neglect of opposing points of view. On the other hand, even Moore's worst ideological enemies would be hard put to dispute the basic argument of his new film Sicko (Weinstein Co.): The American health-care system is a sick joke and has been for a very long time....
...[Moore's] chosen to focus on Americans who have insurance and find themselves screwed up the yin-yang anyway. This is a wise choice from a rhetorical point of view, because by exploring the dilemmas faced by those who have shoveled out premiums for decades, Moore can show that our status quo doesn't just have a few soft spots—it's rotten to the core....
In one of the movie's best segments, insurance-industry insiders frankly admit that their profession is rapacious. A former medical director for an HMO, testifying before Congress, delivers a scathing rebuke both of the insurance industry and of her own role in denying patients care. Another whistle-blower describes the industry's tactics with stark clarity: "You're not slipping through the cracks. Somebody made that crack and swept you toward it." A woman who does customer service for a major insurer weeps as she recalls denying sick customers coverage, then adds, "That's why I'm such a bitch on the phone to people. … I just can't take the stress."...
In a democracy, of course, complaining about something is doing something about it, as long as some of that griping is done at the polling booth. In that spirit, Sicko is less a documentary than a clearinghouse of rage.
I think this gets it right.
No comments:
Post a Comment