Sicko

Like Michael Moore's previous documentaries, Sicko mounts a righteously angry, sentimental, blow-hardy, often-effective argument. Using mostly anecdotal evidence, the film shows how U.S. health insurance and drug companies make profits, owing to helpful legislation dating back to the Nixon years. The film takes aim at any number of legislative and executive figures who collude with the industry to maintain the status quo, while interviews with victims -- as well as former insurance company agents -- make the case that the system is broken and premised on fear, frustration, and greed. The film also presents alternative systems -- Cuban, Canadian, British, and French -- that offer "free" care and, according to the movie, unfailingly friendly caregivers. "It all began with democracy," beams former British Parliament member Tony Benn, which "gave the poor the vote" and "moved the power from the wallet to the ballot." A woman living in France observes that "The government is afraid of the people, they're afraid of protests ... whereas in the States, people are afraid of the government." Though Moore doesn't interview anyone who complains about the taxes that support socialized medicine, he does point out that the U.S. manages socialized schools, postal services, and fire departments.