Movie Review: The English Surgeon: One Doctor’s Personal Mission to Save Lives in Ukraine 

Review by Gerti

This movie is a real rarity – an exciting documentary. “The English Surgeon” tells the story of neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, who recently penned a book ironically titled “Do No Harm”, which tells the story of his long career performing brain surgery in England and elsewhere. I call the title ironic, because much of the book in fact involves the harm he does patients, whether they live or die.

Those who have read the book will find the movie more interesting, as it shows us the doddering old man behind the stories. Marsh is a middle-aged fellow who likes to work with wood and take used medical equipment to his friend in the Ukraine. The drama only begins in the Ukraine, where Marsh has gone for 17 years, as we see how desperately that country and its citizens need the British cast-offs. Marsh takes part in clinic days in Kiev, where people line the hallways in order to sit for a few minutes before Marsh with their x-rays on a light box.

It is very affecting to see him tell patients their fate. Although we mostly follow the case of one young man named Marion who is able to get an operation and is saved, it is the other mini-cases which are heart-breaking. Marsh and his fellow doctor from the Ukraine, whom he calls Igor, debate whether to tell a 23-year-old beauty that she has only 2 years left to live, but first she will go blind. In the end, they send her to get her mother, so she doesn’t receive the terrible news alone.

Another scene of wrenching human tragedy involves a grandmother who brings the x-ray film of her grandchild, but the great English doctor has no hope for her. “What can we do?” she tearfully asks through a translator. Marsh says that they must prepare themselves that the child will die. It is too late. That is the real tragedy here – that many of these patients could have had a better prognosis, but the government-run process to get x-rayed and then see a doctor is so lengthy that their surgical window has closed. This peek at medicine in the former Soviet state is both fascinating and frightening at the same time.

In short, just as Marsh’s book is a terrifying glimpse at the limits of medicine, so is this look by filmmaker Geoffrey Smith at the efforts Marsh has made in the Ukraine. There are glimpses of the humanity of the Ukrainian people, as when Marsh and Igor visit the mother of a little girl who is now dead, but was wrecked by brain surgery. There is video of her before, a sweet and shy child with a large tumor on her face, and after surgery, where she is virtually helpless but yet alive. They visit her village, and her mother, friends and neighbors set out a spread of food and drink for them. It is obvious how deeply all of them are affected by the visit. But the most enduring picture is as Marsh sits alone by the child’s grave, with the gravestone a sculpture of her face. It is then that the viewer can truly see that Marsh regarded at least one patient as a real human being, and feels her loss deeply. This film will make you cry and give thanks that you are in the USA. 

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh

Reviewed by Gerti

It is a popular misconception that the phrase "First do no harm" is a part of the Hippocratic Oath which doctor’s take. The phrase does not appear in the oath, but a similar phrase is found in “Epidemics”, Book I, of the Hippocratic school: "Practice two things in your dealings with disease: either help or do not harm the patient". The exact phrase is believed to have originated with 19th-century surgeon Thomas Inman, but it is used here as the ironic title of this memoir by neurosurgeon Henry Marsh. While “Do No Harm” tells the story of his career in brain surgery in England and elsewhere, I call the title ironic, because much of the book in fact involves the harm he does patients, whether they live or die.

For example, there is the time when he has an assistant start a surgery because it is an “easy” one with which the man is familiar, and after all, students need to learn. Dr. Marsh only comes in once it has been botched completely, and then realizes he should have been there to watch the procedure from the beginning. Nice realization for Marsh; death sentence for the patient.

Another time Marsh is visiting a long-term care facility for patients who are in comas or vegetable-like states and need constant care. These patients have ceramic name plates outside their doors (since they reside there for years) and Marsh notices with shame that at least 4 of the people housed there are former patients of his. He has “wrecked” them, to use the vernacular he says doctors use to describe a patient whose surgery has been left them debilitated.

The book is divided into sections, based on what type of tumor or symptoms the patient is having. Many are bleak with a poor prognosis, but there are some success stories as well. Marsh goes to the Ukraine to help doctors there with their neurological patients, and actually flies a few people to England to see their surgeries occur under the best conditions possible. This peek at medicine in the former Soviet state is both fascinating and frightening at the same time.

In short, much of the book is terrifying, as Marsh talks about how similar normal brain tissue is to diseased tissue, and explains the state of the NHS (National Healthcare System) in England, talking about a room with 20 patient beds in it, something we would never see here in modern US facilities. Enlightening also is how well Marsh himself is treated when he has a detached retina, since he has private insurance and can afford to go to a private healthcare facility. It made me understand why concierge medicine is so popular. The book “Do No Harm” is an inside look at brain surgery that I think few people will be able to stomach. Well written, but with bad outcome scenarios which are scary as hell.

Grendel by John Gardner

Review by Gerti

“Beowulf” is an Old English epic poem that many of us had to read in high school or college. Esteemed writer John Gardner takes the classic work, and turns it on its head here in “Grendel”, much in the way “Wicked” retells the story of “The Wizard of Oz.” Like that novel, Gardner takes the monster of the story, Grendel, and allows him to tell the tale, and like “Wicked”, once the bad guy starts talking, the heroes and villains are not as black and white as they appeared.

We see the humans around King Hrothgar after we've already met Grendel, and after Grendel has already established that he is more than your ordinary monster. Gardner sets him apart from the animals early, but instead uses animal terminology when referring to the humans in the story. Like vermin, Grendel is always seeing them with rat faces, or acting like snakes. And just as humans find it easy to kill rats, it is believable and nearly forgivable that Grendel would have little trouble killing them when the time came.

Grendel is conflicted about his role in the universe, and Gardner sometimes shows him to be a superman character since he is much stronger than humans and can even see in the dark. Grendel himself, however, has heard the humans talk about how he is an outcast, the descendant of the Bible story’s murderous brother, Cain. Humans, he hears, are from another lineage altogether. It is during a scene where Grendel tries to approach the humans in friendship that they begin their attack on him, as they don’t understand his form of language, even though he keeps crying out “friend”. He is so strong, even his fingernails are capable of killing the humans, and the survivors of the Danes drive him away from their gathering place, the mead hall.

Grendel is a tormented soul, for although he has other creatures with whom he can speak, namely his mother and a dragon (who calls him son and treats him with more civility than the humans do), he wants to be accepted among the humans, and that’s just never going to happen. He is obsessed by the humans, and spends most of his life watching them from mountain tops and in the shadows of their village. He sees how badly they treat animals, how they kill for sport, how they set careless fires in the forest. He begins to think that nothing matters, and this novel becomes a nihilist anthem. Finally, hero Beowulf arrives to fight Grendel, but the creature has already lost his will to live.

Among other adjectives of praise heaped on the book, the cover blurbs call “Grendel” original, poignant, witty, intelligent and delightful. It is all those things, and will most definitely appeal to a teen audience, as well as to anyone who share the mindset of one of society’s outsiders. Grendel is a modern “Frankenstein” and I highly recommend this memoir of his, created by the very talented writer, John Gardner.

Movie: Fifty Shades of Grey

Movie Review: “Fifty Shades of Grey”

Reviewed by Gerti

A movie that has gotten a lot attention is “Fifty Shades of Grey,” based on the blockbuster book of a few years back by EL James. It stars Dakota Johnson as the hapless college student Anastasia Steele who was just helping out a sick roommate when she agreed to interview communications industry titan, Christian Grey. He is played by Jamie Dornan, and in true Cinderella fashion, he instantly falls for the guileless Steele, who is also being pursued by several other young men, but doesn’t know that either. Besides being clueless, all she’s lacking here to make her less sexy is coke-bottle thick nerd glasses. She’s a disaster!

Grey tries to charm her by meeting her at the hardware store where she works. Perversely, he picks up some sado-masochistic supplies while she’s helping him shop – rope, duct tape, etc. She doesn’t get the clues. Then he sends her a first edition of “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”, because she told him she was an English major because of the works of Thomas Hardy. He says he would have suspected Jane Austen, which will give Austen lovers a laugh. Then he gets her a new laptop, and eventually a car. Nice boyfriend!

With the story closely following the book, Grey gradually seduces Steele into his “singular” lifestyle, where she would be his submissive and he her dominant. And while she engages in a few introductory episodes with him, she whines frequently about their just being a normal couple, and doing normal dating things, like going out to dinner and the movies. But she also sends him mixed signals, like agreeing to a business meeting alone in his office and going over the “contract” that he wants her to sign to make their relationship official. She goes through the contract pages with him, having him take out things that are objectionable to her, but then teases him about signing it, and leaves without doing so.

Yes, there is a good amount of nudity, mostly hers, as he introduces her to all kinds of sexual behavior (apparently, she’s a virgin in the story). Thanks to Danny Elfman who did the music, it treads the thin line between sexy and silly, as his soundtrack makes it all seem romantic. Dornan plays Grey as conflicted about this relationship, first not wanting to drag Ana into the lifestyle, but then breaking his own rules whenever they are together. If only Ana could project the allure that has caught him in her spell… She generally comes across as cow-eyed and bumbling. We do hear that Grey had an abusive mother, and was then seduced by one of his mother’s friends. Yes, I guess that could all mess him up pretty good where romance is concerned.

Ultimately, however, I thought the movie actually handled the sex more tastefully than the book. I heard that audiences laughed at certain parts, but I’d love to know when, because I found the sex scenes more appealing than some of the dialogue. The film was more Cinderella soap opera than flat-out porn. But the themes here are not for kids or young teens.

Shoes to Die For (Jaine Austen Mystery Series book 4) 

by Laura Levine

Reviewed by Gerti

I’ll admit it. I’m hooked on the books of author Laura Levine, who writes the Jaine Austen series. Calling them mysteries is a bit far-fetched, for the mysterious aspect to their murders is always just an excuse for protagonist Jaine to put herself into awkward, embarrassing and of course amusing situations. I like this book better than some of the other efforts in this series, as she has toned down the amount of time she spends with her cat, Prozac, and the flaming personality of her next-door neighbor, Lance, which for me marred some of the other books.

In this novel, the LA freelance writer falls into a job for the exclusive clothing store “Passions”, where despite her double-digit dress size, she has conned the former model/owner into letting her do their ad campaign. This way the reader gets to meet the staff, including stereotypical mean girl Frenchie, nice-but-ditzy Becky, and heart-throb/hunk Tyler. Tyler and Jaine have a lot in common – they are both writers, but Tyler is taking a writing class and it’s his alibi when Frenchie turns up dead after scamming the owner out of her own business. Everyone else left standing is a suspect, including a customer Frenchie was mean to, and the accountant, who had a crush on Frenchie.

Laura Levine is a comedy writer from way back and is doing very nicely writing this series of funny mysteries. While not the most hysterical book in the series, “Shoes to Die For” is funny enough to spend some time with, as TV-land writer Levine shows off her comedic skills. Unlike some of her other books, however, she doesn't seem to make as much use of Jaine’s parents, which is a mistake, as they tend to provide a comic subplot and write about it in hysterical e-mails to their daughter, in the style of Seinfeld’s parents.

I love heroine Jaine Austen, who has thoroughly modern problems and gets into relatable situations, like having weight issues or having to endure a man she met through speed dating. Levine’s language is a treat to read, her characters a delight to meet, and oh the world inside Austen’s head! I love her sense of humor. She’s like having a girlfriend who is smart enough to catch crooks, and crack wise at the same time. While “Shoes to Die For” is not my favorite Levine novel, it’s an easy bubble-bath read, something to which protagonist Jaine Austen would definitely give a thumbs up.

Movie Review: The Rewrite

 

Movie Review: “The Rewrite”

Reviewed by Gerti 

A movie that has gotten no attention but deserves a look, at least by Hugh Grant fans, is “The Rewrite.” Grant stars as Keith Michaels, a Hollywood screen writer who has fallen on hard times. His desperate agent has finally gotten him a job teaching screen writing at a college in Binghamton, New York. But Michaels nearly ruins that as well, first by sleeping with a co-ed (even before he teaches a single class), and then by insulting another teacher from the English Department. Allison Janney does a great job playing an old maid, Jane Austen-loving professor. She also serves on the college ethics committee, which soon gets wind of Michaels’ affair with the student.

For his second strike, Michaels has never read the 70 screenplays which were submitted by students to gain entry into his class. He simply checked on the school web site and chose the students in his class based on their looks. So he has a bevy of beauty queens in his class, and 2 nerds. And yes, the teacher on the ethics committee figures this little trick out, too, and is none too pleased.

Among these female students is Marisa Tomei, who plays Holly, a single mother of 2 girls who is trying to get a second chance by going back to college. How she manages her time is the most fictional aspect of the story, as she works 2 jobs, one at the school book store and another at a fancy restaurant, to pay for school. With going to classes and sleeping, I’d be surprised if she had any time to see her kids! But she is a bold lady, and shames Michaels into actually reading her screen play, and their interaction thaws his heart. After a few classes (he’s been forced to meet with his students more than once a month) he is interacting with all of them, and actually trying to teach them something about writing.

Wonder of wonders, one of the male students is actually a gifted writer, and turns in a screen play that Michaels sends on to his Hollywood agent. Ironically, the same studio execs who rejected his recent works are thrilled by the modern take on story telling Michaels’ student has. Michaels is also instrumental in helping the other nerdy male student who has been hazed and practically killed while trying to join a fraternity. Michaels stays with him in the hospital until his parents arrive. Witnessing this act of humanity, the female student who was going to bring charges against him for sexual harassment changes her mind, as does the ethics-loving Jane Austen professor.

All right. So I know there is something wrong with a teacher who hits on his students, but Hugh Grant is charming here (as always), and he does break the relationship off as soon as he realizes the school doesn’t allow such a thing. His relationship with Tomei also blossoms (ah, a relationship with an age-appropriate woman!) so his evolution as a man and a teacher is complete. The overall affect, thanks to good writing and charming actors, is a delight. “The Rewrite” is a quirky, heart-warming film on the order of Grant’s “Two Week’s Notice.”

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Reviewed by Gerti

This is the third book I have read by author Stephanie Hale, and I like it a lot. I had previously read “Austenland” and “Midnight in Austenland” because of my love of writer Jane Austen’s works, to which those books pay mild tribute. I liked the former book, didn’t like the latter. I picked up this book, “Revenge of the Homecoming Queen”, because I needed something to break that tie about the author’s talents. This book proves again that Hale is a very good writer with a fabulous sense of humor and a gift for creating likeable characters.

Perhaps more YA than the other two books, this book centers around high school senior Aspen Brooks. Perhaps that implausible name is a tip of the hat to the name of heroine “Cher” in every teen girl’s favorite film, “Clueless”. Like Cher, Aspen is a dream girl, an A-lister popular girl with all the right clothes, attitudes, and even friends. She dates the quarter back, of course, and is all teed up to become Homecoming Queen. That is until the principal, Miss Hott, calls the name of her nemesis, Angel Ives.

Quarterback boyfriend Lucas is also not chosen to be Homecoming King, but that’s his own fault, as he started a campaign to elect a nerdy boy named Rand whose parents are impossibly rich. Lucas explains to Aspen that he did it because he thought she and Rand had a lot in common, and thought she would be elected queen. Angel is none too happy about Rand being her king, either, and that’s the only fact that saves Aspen from being heartbroken.

Aspen starts to have very bad days at school, after her tire gets slashed and someone stuffs her locker with porn. She thinks its Angel, but it turns out Angel is only after her boyfriend, and when she sneaks away during a party to be with Lucas, Angel accidentally gets kidnapped. The rest of the story involves trying to track down the Homecoming Queen, and the other people who end up getting kidnapped after her. But the ending is satisfying and gratifying, as we find out that the kidnapper was only out to punish Aspen and keeps nabbing the wrong girls!

This book was terrific fun, and not just for teens. I thoroughly enjoyed how Aspen grows up, from selfish teen/queen to a girl who is capable of caring for others (and the environment!), even putting her own life in danger to save her mom. It’s a rollicking good time filled with plot twists, humor, and a little naughtiness to keep it all interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was sorry to see it end.