Food Matters (2010)

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I give this 7 and not a 10 because I don't know about some of the claims made within the program (healing properties, miracles claims). I'm really unconcerned with the smaller details and examples presented in the film, because the message is spot-on. This country is sick. Just look around. MOST Americans are fat. Yes, most. Most are unhealthy at best. The greatest thing one can do for health is to consume a vegetable-based, whole foods diet. This is not even a question. This is common knowledge. Construct a diet plan that focuses on real, raw vegetable matter, followed by fats (yeah, you need plenty of 'real' fats too) and proteins (appropriate meats. yes, you were also born to eat some meat. there are processes at work within YOUR body that are solely present within carnivores). This is obviously how we were born to eat, but people have gotten so far away from this for convenience sake, etc. At the end of the day, setting aside some of the film's details, the core message is absolutely correct: eat correctly in order to live longer and healthier. Common sense.

Just to clarify - my review is not financed by one of the evil pharmaceutical companies that intends to rule the world. I'm a reasonably health conscious individual but that doesn't mean I can't spot quacks when I see em. This documentary is filled with (il)logical arguments only someone fluent in ancient Indus Valley language can decipher :- 1) Max Gerson used to hang around with people like Einstein - Einstein was a genius - that makes Gerson a genius as well. 2) "Good health does not cost money, so there is no reason to promote good health". The concept of economic cost of disease to the society does not exist at all 3) Medical journals do not cite one of their alternative medicine journals because they are "afraid" these would prove effective and ruin them trillions of dollars (and not because they are quack of course) 4) The testimony of doctors with dubious qualifications is sufficient for something to work while everything scientific and proved is a conspiracy - "I had a patient who was sick - treated the patient with my prescription - he/she was able to get super human abilities including ice breath, an extra arm and the ability to control intestinal bacteria. I can't prove these naturally, but if I made a documentary on it - it must be true right?"People who appear in this video must first treat themselves to a 6th grade science text book and understand what scientific testing means. I had multiple brain farts sitting through the whole video.

Co-directed by James Colquhoun and Laurentine Ten Bosch, this film documents the corruption of the very nature of food pricing, with the federal government's mindless subsidy of big agribusiness, and especially corn production, and how this perverts international markets, such as making corn cheaper to Mexican farmers than that they can grow; the irony being that Mexico is the birthplace and cradle of corn to the world. A bevy of the same talking heads from the other films make some of the same points as they do elsewhere, but this film stitches together a solid narrative and trail of evidence for even the most apathetic viewer to easily follow. There are some claims made, by some of the wackier denizens of this documentary, and the others, such as simply eating this or that being a cure for cancer, or curing clinical depression simply by subscribing a high niacin diet, but none of this has ever been tested in controlled studies.That stated, the film is correct in calling out the FDA, the Department of Agriculture, and the EPA for their failures to regulate the production and marketing of the assorted advertising gimmicks used to foist bad foods upon the public, as well as labeling the whole system the 'sickness industry,' rather than the wellness or food industry, as well as showing how perverse it is for the drug companies (which often own the agriculture companies) to control the medical journals and university grants that research and detail the harm caused by their own policies.Technically, Food Matters is a cut or two above Fed Up! on the cinematic scale, and also penetrates a bit more deeply into the issues that first film raises. The lone negative of the film is one that plagues some of the other films in this review, and that is the use of some rather cheesy animation.

OK, so I have been researching a lot of this for some time. I've watched all of those Netflix movies, Food Matters, Food Inc., The Gerson Therapy, The Beautiful Truth, Etc. I've read documentaries, I am even about to read Max Gerson's book. As of right now I am completely on the fence as to whether this is all BS or not, so if you want an unbiased opinion, hear me out.It has always been my philosophy to always question things, to doubt what may be true, and to consider things that may seem far-fetched. This debate is no different, and here is my opinion on both sides of the debate:For Food Matters and Nutritional Therapies: It seems so simple, and so easy to understand. Being healthy can of course make your life longer, and can probably prevent diseases such as cancer. If this is the case, why can't good health also REVERSE the effects? Also, why would all of these people go to the trouble of putting this movie together, and then putting it on the internet to see for free? As for the whole "corporate invaded health care" I don't see any reason why this wouldn't be true, there are so many other things our citizens don't know, why can't this just be one more?Against Food Matters and Nutritional Therapies: The first thing in my head wasn't to doubt the movie, I actually full heartedly believed it for a day after I watched it. Then I began questioning. Think about it, this is basically a conspiracy against 90+% of doctors, who ALL don't know ANYTHING about nutrition. It doesn't make much sense now, does it? And why would any doctor knowingly not release this information, realizing how many people it could save?The point here, don't take sides and call it a night. Research it. Some of it could be true, some false. ALL of it could be true! Who knows? The information is here for you, books are here. Research. I know one thing is for certain, good nutrition is key to leading long healthy lives.A vegan diet is actually best for us, because we once were herbivores and just recently began eating meat. Non-cooked foods are of course better as well. I personally recommend eating an organic vegan diet, BUT do not do so without knowing what nutrition, go to a nutritionist if you need to, but you'd be better off eating a diet filled with red meat than eating a vegan diet that has no nutritional value. Be smart about it, and remember to always question, and don't always just blow off those conspiracy buffs.