Michael Moore´s latest feature contains most of the strengths and weakness of his other recent work; it´s topical, debate-inciting, and immensely entertaining, with Moore´s average-guy charm and wit elevating the otherwise serious subject matter of the failings of the US health care system.
Yet, as in Fahrenheit 9/11, he´s preaching to choir – and to that choir, there´s nothing new here: Moore opens by telling us how awful the system is in the US, and then proceeds to hammer that point home during the next two hours.
There are trips to Britain, France, and even Cuba – where 9/11 volunteers suffering lung problems receive the medication they need but cannot afford in the US, during the groan-inducingly sensationalistic but depressingly realistic climax of the movie.
Still, it´s an entirely admirable film that can (hopefully) reach a large enough audience to further expose the US health care problem; potentially, non-US audiences will find the film more interesting.
Modern-day documentaries have polarized audiences, who seem to respond more to the message of the film than the actual filmmaking; whatever your politics, however, Moore´s films have always entertained.
