More a TV play than cinema worthy film. It isn't bad. The messages are good and some great performances (although as much as i love Jennifer Saunders I can never take her seriously and when the reveal occurs I can almost see a glint in her eye and had flashes of the Misery sketch with Dawn French!).
I did find it very depressing. I'm usually quite one/have a reputation with friends for opting for more sombre stuff, but this felt even more difficult to me than many films that are probably darker. Maybe because it's so close to the bone and such a current reflection of the state of the NHS?
I have not marked it down for being depressing (I should add there are glimpses of wry humour and several audience members laughed at points), but because it seemed to lack any real oomph or pull me in properly. I felt always on the outside looking in and couldn't fully engage or get caught up in it. It isn't a pleasant watch, but neither is it good enough to become that gloomy for.
I also felt it was a bit confused in tone. Whilst I don't think things need to fit in neat genre boxes, and it's good sometimes when art plays with mixing up comedy, tragedy, realism, and surrealism. This film didn't seem to even understand what direction it was going and I tried to be different things ....almost like several people had written different parts and then they were all attached at the end. I wouldn't recommend it, but I do think the messages are important and I liked the cast very much. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about it.
I did find it very depressing. I'm usually quite one/have a reputation with friends for opting for more sombre stuff, but this felt even more difficult to me than many films that are probably darker. Maybe because it's so close to the bone and such a current reflection of the state of the NHS?
I have not marked it down for being depressing (I should add there are glimpses of wry humour and several audience members laughed at points), but because it seemed to lack any real oomph or pull me in properly. I felt always on the outside looking in and couldn't fully engage or get caught up in it. It isn't a pleasant watch, but neither is it good enough to become that gloomy for.
I also felt it was a bit confused in tone. Whilst I don't think things need to fit in neat genre boxes, and it's good sometimes when art plays with mixing up comedy, tragedy, realism, and surrealism. This film didn't seem to even understand what direction it was going and I tried to be different things ....almost like several people had written different parts and then they were all attached at the end. I wouldn't recommend it, but I do think the messages are important and I liked the cast very much. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about it.