Overwhelmingly Under Whelmed

I joined Netflix two weeks ago. I love it. What a great deal for someone who routinely forgets to return movies by the due date and racks up increasingly more expensive late fees. Also, since moving to Portland I’ve not found a video rental store with the same charm as Howard Hughes and thus I’ve been purchasing movies I wish to watch instead. Thumbs up from this girl.
I received my latest bundle of movies in the mail yesterday, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Sideways” and “Sicko.” I watched Sicko last night.

I would consider my self to be a fan of Michael Moore. I remember watching Bowling for Columbine as a sophomore in college and the rage and frustration and feeling the film brought out. I’m sure much of that had to do with my context of the subject matter. I was sophomore in high school when Columbine happened and I remember the absolute fear that followed. I remember the bomb threats that were made at my high school; I remember the banner of support we sent to their high school. But mostly I remember my friend’s suicide that happened exactly a week later. It was a tough week to be a high schooler.

I had the same intense feelings after watching Fahrenheit 911. I’m sure everybody did. Liberal or not that film was guaranteed to get a rise out of anybody. I took an Ethics class focused on Propaganda in college and chose that film to center the main project around. I must have viewed that film at least 20 times that semester. And every single time I watched it, I was moved to tears.

I went in to watching “Sicko” with great expectations. I expected to be outraged. I expected to be hopelessly sad. I expected to feel indignation that Moore would attempt to slander a field in which I work. I expected to be horrified. I expected to feel something. I didn’t.

I was under whelmed.

When the film was over, and my roommate and I were discussing our views I was having trouble finding the right words. Inane seemed to fit, but not completely. Banal, maudlin…all words I fear, and words I use often in criticism didn’t fit correctly. Naïve. This film is overwhelmingly naïve.

I’m not really sure where to go from here. Thoughts need to be collected and processed.



On a side note…I’m still having nightmares from seeing “The Dark Knight.”