Just beneath this we see a short elaboration of the previous one-liner; "This study of a young stroke patient’s struggle to regain language and memory manages to be at once visually arresting, deeply moving and uplifting". This gives the reader a more descriptive knowledge of the plot as it goes into more detail and gives away information such as the cognitive difficulties addressed throughout; it also uses more emotive language such as 'deeply moving and uplifting' in order to arouse the audiences sympathy/curiosity, therefore encouraging them to watch it themselves.
The review begins by offering the reader an insight into the background knowledge/build-up of the documentary itself- "My Beautiful Broken Brain is the story of stroke patient Lotje Sodderland. Sodderland suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage in 2011 at the age of 34; eight days later she contacted filmmaker Sophie Robinson to ask her to help document the aftermath. The pair initially filmed 150 hours of footage, most of it self-shot by Sodderland on her iPhone, which was edited to create this documentary piecing together Sodderland’s recovery." From this I can infer that -
The review begins by offering the reader an insight into the background knowledge/build-up of the documentary itself- "My Beautiful Broken Brain is the story of stroke patient Lotje Sodderland. Sodderland suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage in 2011 at the age of 34; eight days later she contacted filmmaker Sophie Robinson to ask her to help document the aftermath. The pair initially filmed 150 hours of footage, most of it self-shot by Sodderland on her iPhone, which was edited to create this documentary piecing together Sodderland’s recovery." From this I can infer that -
- The stroke patient's name is Lotje Sodderland
- She suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2011 at age 34
- She contacted filmmaker Sophie Robinson 8 days after to help her document the aftermath
- They filmed 150 hours of footage
- Most footage was shot via iPhone by Lotje herself
- The documentary follows Lotje's recovery
The next paragraph begins by referring to the narrative documentation of the film; this helps to set both the scene and the tone of the film as the reader is made aware as to who opens the first scene (Lotje's friends & family) and the feelings expressed following this account ('confusion', 'frustration', 'relief' etc.) The author has also chosen to include some facts/statistics such as "stroke is the UK’s third biggest killer, and affects around 150,000 people each year"; this further develops the dramatic atmosphere created as the reader is then offered scientific evidence into the severity of the documented events.
Within the following paragraphs, the reader is then given more information via a chronological account of the events, e.g. -
Within the following paragraphs, the reader is then given more information via a chronological account of the events, e.g. -
- Lotje then spent 3 months in Homertons neurological rehabilitation unit
- The stroke left her with aphasia
- Her neurologist helps her to recalibrate her brain hemispheres
- She joined a research study into transcranial stimulation at University College London
- She started attending daily sessions and practised at home
About half way through the review the author changes the focus; diverting attention away from the story and into the way that it was portrayed onscreen, e.g. editorial techniques and effects. "One of the most arresting features of the film is its visual style. The stroke caused an impairment in Sodderland’s right eye, something her ophthalmologist says probably cannot be repaired. Robinson says that when Sodderland first started speaking to her about the “trippy” other-dimensional views she had from her right side “it became very important to use that and make the film feel a bit different so we can feel what it’s like in Lotje’s head”. As a reader, I found this part of the review the most engrossing; I was very shocked to discover that the filmmakers had used certain effects in order to portray Lotje's visual impairment and found myself more susceptible to watching it myself. Terms such as 'trippy', 'dreamlike' and 'euphoric' appealed to me as a reader as I felt that the representation of such traits would be interesting as a viewer- not only as an outsider, but also as somebody who wishes to broaden their knowledge/outlook. Such impairments are later described to have become "an exquisite painful nightmare". This strongly contrasts the earlier description of euphoria and somewhat suggests that there is a shift in equilibrium; the reader is then provoked into wanting clarification due to the juxtaposing terms 'exquisite' and 'painful'.
The author of the review then goes on to seek a more personal connection with the readers, allowing them to relate the moral of the documentary to their own individual experiences. This is done through the generalisation of the issues presented, "an absorbing study about how our sense of self is defined... it is also a reminder of the nature of our personal independence." This is reinforced within the second to last paragraph as the author defines what a MBBB film is: "a moving film which deals with the philosophy of who we are and what makes us a person, alongside showing us just how fragile our understanding of the brain is". Although this is not specific to Lotje's case, it is an area of great curiosity and intellect in which many people find interesting/engaging.
This review differed from my expectations as I was expecting elements of high praise or severe criticism; instead I found a more descriptive and engrossing piece of work which kept me guessing throughout and was effective in making me want to watch the documentary for myself.
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