Sicko

It appears that Director Michael Moore accomplishes his intent to expose the unfairness in the healthcare insurance and pharmaceutical industries. His approach was to profile patients and the barriers they faced to deliver his message. By using real people and their stories, and not hired actors, contributed to the reality of the various unfortunate stories of these people. They suffer through so many circumstances and obstacles that shouldn't be suffered through. I find this movie very touching and really angers me at some points. One in particular was a woman who was fighting for her husband who had bone marrow cancer, and to find that his brother was a perfect match. The hospital wouldn't do the procedure because health insurance wouldn't cover it. This really shows the lack of caring and not fulfilling what they're trained or educated to do. One physician was really affected and disgusted by this situation when it was taken to court. I agree with Kurt Loder's article on MTV saying the director cherry-picked each story, but who wouldn't? As the director, Moore has the authority to take his movie in whatever direction he wants. I feel all his stories were touching and opens your eyes to how precious life is. Medical costs can leave people broke and homeless. One couple had to pack up what would fit in two cars and leave everything else behind to go live with their daughter due to their medical costs. Another situation featured the husband who had 3 heart attacks plus rehab, and the wife with cancer, and their medical costs left them so broke. They both had very good jobs and put all their kids through prestigious colleges only to find themselves seeking help from their children. Kurt Loder makes additional comments about Moore's socialistic views and his thoughts about government regulation. Obviously Loder doesn't agree with these views, because it seems as though he mocks Hilary Clinton's attempts to reform the medical program in the United States. Loder also cites some instances in other countries like Canada and references "Dead Meat," in which their medical systems are not perfect either. I realize that when people try to make profound statements in their documentaries there will always critics who argue against them. I feel Moore showed us a side that needed to be shown. As I watched the documentary, it became apparent to me just why he named the movie the "Sicko." This definently draw attention to sick patients as well as the sick health system, that is probably in need of some reform.

The Matrix

In my opinion, “Matrix” is a movie that is entertainment for any movie-goer because it has something for everyone. Obviously, fans of science fiction movies would like it because of the twists in the plot and the special effects which are incredible. The stop-action of the bullets by Neo is one example of this. The directors also use slow motion, then suddenly fast action. There are so many entertaining components that contribute to the success of the storyline such as suspense, action-packed events, and romance. The directors are creative in how they unravel their story. I, like the rest of the viewers, was led to believe that this was an ordinary story with ordinary characters, such as the character played by Keanu Reeves. Then the directors allow the story to unfold. It’s not an ordinary story. They used a great deal of detail in drawing in their viewers with camera angles that lead your attention to something from above or below, hazy and dim lighting, calculated action to excite the audience, and pulsating music to help add to the drama. I noticed that the color black is used a lot, especially in the clothing, and several of the characters wore sunglasses. To me this hides their eyes and facial expressions. Even though this movie has an ending, the directors leave it wide open for sequels, which seems to be pretty common. In reading the review by James L. Ford, I found his comparisons between Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix very interesting. After viewing the movie, I would not have looked so deeply into the philosophical and religious nature of the message in the movie. Ford states that The Matrix is an example of myth-making which can lead to foundational thinking in some religions and building or adding to new cultures. To me, I don’t think the common viewer would analyze it like this. This movie contains a lot of symbolism but it isn’t strong enough to educate the audience on religious theories.