This is probably the best of Michael Moore’s films, in the sense that you don’t have to share his leftist politics to appreciate it. The target for his attack is the US healthcare system and the misery it inflicts on ordinary Americans. Moore knows he has a strong case, so he wisely keeps himself on the story’s margins, avoids moral posturing and refrains from hammering points home. He lets the people speak. Okay, his view of our NHS and the facilities offered by Cuba may seem a little naive, but when you hear the harrowing tales of Americans who watched loved ones die because the health-insurance industry puts profit before people, you feel proud to live in a country that has a state-funded system. Health insurance is not exactly a sexy issue, but Moore tells the story of its origins and history extremely well, even if his gosh-golly-how-do-the Europeans-do-it? routine grows tiresome. He deserves full credit for tackling this important subject.

12A, 123 mins

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