Film ReviewsChronic
Nov 10, 2016 Anchorage Press
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Terminal illnesses cause pain to those who have them and those who love them. Sometimes the space in time comprised by these illnesses is just before a short or drawn out death when loved ones suffering from these illnesses become foreign to their families and friends. Chronic reminds some viewers, and introduces others to the unfortunate reality that sometimes people who are terminally ill become lesser versions of themselves until they are gone from this plane and onto the next. Dementia, physical limitations and/or accelerated devolution of mind, body and spirit diminish life experiences that have otherwise been full and complex. In Chronic, Tim Roth gives a stellar performance as David, a nurse assigned to care for terminally ill patients in the privacy of their own homes. Chronic was written and directed by the accomplished Michel Franco who is quickly establishing himself as a leading director on the world stage.
As a nurse caring for the dying, David is a special kind of human being, one whose empathy and compassion is a vocation and a way of life. Attending to dying and vulnerable human beings puts a burden on caretakers that most people take for granted. But, in the case of David, he needs his patients as much as they need him. David becomes a connection for his patients to the still-living world, and this can be difficult for friends and family members standing helplessly by.
The 37-year-old Mexican director based the film on his own, very personal experience. When his grandmother was in the last stages of her illness, Franco realized that the most intimate care received by his grandmother was not from her children or grandchildren, it was from her nurse. This experience informed Chronic's exploration of the bond that forms between David and his patients. For David, the bond extends beyond the life of his patients. He finds refuge in making elements of their stories his, thus suppressing his own muted internal chaos and burgeoning depression.
Tim Roth is amazing in his portrayal of David, and his ability to bring David's internal maelstrom to light-often without saying a word-is Oscar-worthy. The role of David is physically demanding and requires full and expert control on the part of Roth and Franco. Together they create a poetic narrative delivered with the smallest of gestures. The film is filled with beautiful details that help push the plot and relationships along-from the color scheme of blues and greys that paint people who are linked in one fell swoop-to Roth's immersion in the tasks of caretaking, washing, cleaning and feeding his patients. One of the most poetic scenes is when David is on campus walking behind a young woman, they echo each other in this long take, linked by their gait and tempo. When David finally catches up to her, a significant part of his life is quietly revealed. It is this kind of sublime storytelling that makes the ambiguity in Chronic not only tolerable but very much appreciated.
Chronic is challenging for viewers, not only because the subject matter hits too close to home, but because it requires that the viewer be fully engaged in voyeurism; the type one engages in when driving by a dreadful accident. Franco directs with precision and intelligence, and thus succeeds in taking deeply emotional contents and delivering with an impeccable pace that is perfectly timed. The film lacks sound devices that would normally be used in soliciting or cueing emotional responses from viewers, and this intensifies the relationship between the characters and viewers; will the tension break? The film is honest and raw, making it so the breaking point will come for viewers within their own respective times.
Chronic plays on Monday, November 14 at 8 p.m. at Bear Tooth.
As a nurse caring for the dying, David is a special kind of human being, one whose empathy and compassion is a vocation and a way of life. Attending to dying and vulnerable human beings puts a burden on caretakers that most people take for granted. But, in the case of David, he needs his patients as much as they need him. David becomes a connection for his patients to the still-living world, and this can be difficult for friends and family members standing helplessly by.
The 37-year-old Mexican director based the film on his own, very personal experience. When his grandmother was in the last stages of her illness, Franco realized that the most intimate care received by his grandmother was not from her children or grandchildren, it was from her nurse. This experience informed Chronic's exploration of the bond that forms between David and his patients. For David, the bond extends beyond the life of his patients. He finds refuge in making elements of their stories his, thus suppressing his own muted internal chaos and burgeoning depression.
Tim Roth is amazing in his portrayal of David, and his ability to bring David's internal maelstrom to light-often without saying a word-is Oscar-worthy. The role of David is physically demanding and requires full and expert control on the part of Roth and Franco. Together they create a poetic narrative delivered with the smallest of gestures. The film is filled with beautiful details that help push the plot and relationships along-from the color scheme of blues and greys that paint people who are linked in one fell swoop-to Roth's immersion in the tasks of caretaking, washing, cleaning and feeding his patients. One of the most poetic scenes is when David is on campus walking behind a young woman, they echo each other in this long take, linked by their gait and tempo. When David finally catches up to her, a significant part of his life is quietly revealed. It is this kind of sublime storytelling that makes the ambiguity in Chronic not only tolerable but very much appreciated.
Chronic is challenging for viewers, not only because the subject matter hits too close to home, but because it requires that the viewer be fully engaged in voyeurism; the type one engages in when driving by a dreadful accident. Franco directs with precision and intelligence, and thus succeeds in taking deeply emotional contents and delivering with an impeccable pace that is perfectly timed. The film lacks sound devices that would normally be used in soliciting or cueing emotional responses from viewers, and this intensifies the relationship between the characters and viewers; will the tension break? The film is honest and raw, making it so the breaking point will come for viewers within their own respective times.
Chronic plays on Monday, November 14 at 8 p.m. at Bear Tooth.