Sicko (**** out of ****) - SCARIER THAN 'PSYCHO'...AND FUNNIER TOO.

By Ray Arthur Wang, 06/19/07 - It is a real shame that Michael Moore is so famous now, because people have already made up their minds about him. You either love him or hate him. Or you can be a bit more rational, like I try to be. I see both his strengths and his weaknesses, and I always give a person, from Michael Moore to Bill O'Reilly, a chance to be understood. All I ask is, if you are a Michael Moore hater, to give him a chance to be understood.

Let me interrupt to say I am not affiliated with a political party - specifically, I'm neither a Democrat nor a Republican as I feel there are pros and cons of each party, and on a larger scale, they are two sides of the same coin anyway.

SICKO is the most important film of the year. It's thesis: How can we be the richest country in the world and yet be 37th in the world in terms of health care, trailing countries like Malta and Oman?

One of the few things I believe in is self-improvement. You only have control over yourself, it's futile to try to change others, whether people or nations. Is it Anti-American to want America to self-improve? I challenge any haters of America self-improvement documentaries like AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and THE FOG OF WAR to answer this. For that's what Michael Moore's movie SICKO (and all his works in general) is about. While I don't care too much about Michael Moore personally, I feel he sincerely is trying to do good and cares about America self-improving so that it can be an even greater nation than it already is. That makes Michael Moore one patriotic son-of-a-bitch American.

SICKO is not without flaws. But the exaggerations, melodrama, and sensationalism do not erase the simple fact that our health care sucks bricks. It is the truth that the U.S. seriously needs to overhaul it's health care system. And I should know because after my near-fatal car accident ran up bills in the tens of thousands (for very minor injuries), Blue Cross has now suspended my coverage and is attempting to get back the money it covered for the accident via a shady investigation, much like the type made public in SICKO, that looks for any slip-up in my application and medical history so that they can find reason to retroactively deny that and future coverage.

Although I was moved more emotionally by Moore's Academy Award Winner, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, SICKO was in the same league of powerful and affecting. Much more focused than FAHRENHEIT 9/11, SICKO is Moore's most important film, because, unlike BOWLING, it leaves you feeling empowered that you can do something about this problem.

People who nitpick the flaws are missing the point: What really matters is the overall impact a movie has, which in the case of SICKO is overwhelmingly positive - SICKO opens the viewer's eyes and inspires the viewer to do the right thing. What more can you expect?

Do yourself and your country a favor by catching this must-see film when it comes out in theatres June 29, 2007.

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