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ringthebells18
Reviews
Bleed Out (2018)
This is what our for profit medical system in pro-business Amerca looks like
I wish every person in America would see this film. The film tells a specific story to illustrate the dynamics and costs of medical errors which are the third highest cause of death in the US. It does a great job of presenting a complex story comprehensively and skillfully making this an informative and watchable film. The story doesn't rely on developing a victim to draw the viewer in. Both mother and son, the film maker, come across as regular people who've managed to live well for the most part and who enter the encounter with the healthcare system expecting a reasonable standard of care with some accountability to the patient. The mother had had two successful knee transplant surgeries and was being operated on by the same surgeon.
Sadly, things went wrong and that one bad surgery lead to a cascade of errors that went on and on because there was no accountability built into the system and each error meant more care and more profit for providers. The mother's suffering is terrible as is the son's although he minimizes it as the film maker. He maintains a steady focus on the imprenetable wall that surrounds the healthcare system and prevents patients from ever holding anyone accountable for care that creates harm rather than benefit.
This documentary seems totally believable and accurate to me and it depicts the extreme suffering that our medical system imposes
On many patients toward the end of their lives. I've experienced unresponsive hospital systems where no one is in charge and as a patient you have no way to get pain or questions about what really happened in surgery addressed. Its maddening and terrifying and as long as everyone (except the patient and floor nurses) are making ridiculous amounts of money without being held accountable for outcomes nothing will change.
Watch it and WAKE UP! The ACA that a court declared unconstitutional recently included some outcome based incentives in the healthcare system.
Big Wata (2018)
Take a short trip to Sierra Leon
With a very natural unforced style this documentary lets the viewer get a glimpse of a small group of young guys who fell in love with surfing. Set in a small seaside village in Sierra Leon it gives the viewer a chance to get a glimpse of everyday life In a beautiful area of west Africa. With nothing but their own passion and friendships they taught themselves to surf and convinced their village to allow them to develop a surf club on the local beach. With the village they've built a club enclosure and offer surf lessons and rentals.
The film follows "medo" Mohammed, one of the founders of the club as he suffers through a seemingly arbitrary suspension by the villages headman. His close friend joins in his suspension and other allies eventually succeed in getting Medo reinstated in time to take a trip to visit a surf club in neighboring Liberia. Through the interactions with the Liberian surf club they learn about the ISA (International Surfing Association) and the education scholarships it provides to club members.
A previous review pointed out that there isn't much actual surfing in the film but I disagree. This film comes from the soul of surfing which is connection to the primal force and beauty of water. Surfers don't impose their will on the waves - they accept and adapt to the movement of the water and find joy in the moments that they are able to join with the waves speed and flow.
From this surfing spirit they've learned to work cooperatively, to dream a little and to harness the energy of their passion to create value for their community.
Mum (2016)
Warm Subtle Humor
I love the quiet humor in this show which follows Mom Cathy as she adjusts to her new life following her husbands while surrounded by her well-meaning but slightly obtuse family. The show is a wonderful display of what I think of as a type of British humor the relies on the actors ability to convey several layers of thought and emotion in just a single subtle word or facial expression. While it pokes fun at various characters through Cathy's eyes we see them with empathy as well as humor. The slowly developing romance between Cathy and Michael adds a sweetness that is irresistable. Will there be a season 3?
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco (2018)
A Different Perspective
I love this series. Its a spin off of The Bletchley Circle that originally aired on PBS in the US. A diverse group of four women band together to use code breaking skills they developed while in the service during WWII to solve various mysteries they encounter. The four leading actresses provide flawless performances and the actors in supporting roles are also excellent.
Set in post-war San Francico the plots touch on issues of the time - sexism, police corruption, homophobia, racial inequities, drug gang, anti-communist fervor. Sadly, most of those issues are still very relateable. The seriousness of the subject matter is counter-balanced by the pleasure of watching the women develop their relationship to the world and each other. All four of the exceptionally intelligent women push against the constraints that bind them in order to express their individual talents and passions.
The script writing is weak, especially in comparison to season 1 of the original Bletchley Circle but it seems to have been produced as a broadcast tv series rather than a PBS or BBC production and the high quality acting more than compensates for the poor writing.
A well-acted historical series with four female leading characters is a rarity that shouldn't be dismissed because it isn't perfect. I look forward to watching this weekly in part because its entertaining but it doesn't require total brain death to be enjoyed.