Frágil

In writer / director Christine Jeffs' tv-standard New Zealand medical drama "A Mistake" senior surgeon Elizabeth Banks leads a team in an operation in which an error is made, that MAY have contributed to the patient's death hours later. The patient's parents formally complain, Banks & team are scapegoated by the hospital's administration (led by Simon McBurney (excellent)), and their lives begin to miserably crumble. Being so dry, downbeat, & depressing it was perhaps a mistake for star name Banks to get involved. Its noble message is that healthcare workers are over-worked & under-appreciated, but there must be more effective ways of conveying that.

It has been a while since I was pleasantly surprised by what I call a "small movie," which is by no means a negative term. Suffice it to say, A Mistake achieved just that.

I admire directors who dare to tackle heavy, genuinely sad, and often depressing topics. But these are the stories that need to be told. They matter. They carry a message.

A Mistake is brilliant because it resonates on so many levels. It sheds light on the immense pressure hospitals and their staff endure, but what makes this film so universally relatable is its exploration of humanity. We, as individuals, are the sum of our choices, and no one wants to be defined by a single mistake. At its core, this movie is about loss, responsibility, and-above all-forgiveness, beautifully conveyed through the outstanding performance of Elizabeth Banks.

Elizabeth Banks is among my most favorite actresses - her latest movie was a must-see.

But, in hindsight, I am asking why.

1) This movie is set in New Zealand.

First of all, why do so many actors in this movie have an accent which doesn't resemble the Kiwi one? I have loads of friends from New Zealand and none of them sound like in this movie.

If anything, some of the actors sound very British instead.

2) While the premise of the movie is a decent one, the pace of this movie isn't keeping up with it. At times it feels a bit slow and boring.

3) Many of my family members are doctors, nurses or work in key roles in a hospital. While mistakes do happen, the details of the movie aren't likely under many circumstances. The medical devices used, protocols followed, and education/mentorship received is very exact these days and follows a strict regime.

4) Several story elements don't make much sense. Why was it such a big deal that some dog stays with her? How come that a lead surgeon/medical degree holder who isn't into cars drives a BMW E30 (a classic which would need a huge amount of effort/passion/tech to be on the road)? Why the crass language and swearing all the time by a degree-qualified doctor... profanities to show the extreme situation she is in? It can be done with a better script.

Why don't the lead actress and the protege have no chemistry at all?

Elizabeth Banks is still a great actress, but I don't think a medical drama is something she should do often.

Maybe the standards of movie making are lower for films set in New Zealand.

Gifted surgeon Elizabeth Taylor (Elizabeth Banks) finds her life thrown into disarray following a mistake by one of her team during surgery appears to lead to a patient's death. The bureaucratic Head of Surgery Andrew McGrath (Simon McBurney) seems to hold her responsible somehow and tries to control her and what she can say publicly about the incident. He also suspends her and treats her almost as 'the enemy' during the coming weeks.

I suspect most hospitals are run by people like Andrew McGrath and I suspect many health practitioners suffer the heavy hand of that type of bureaucracy. Despite seeming to want transparency and accountability, they seem to only want it on their own terms. It reminded me of course of the many investigations into health care in the UK where hospitals spend many years fighting in court to hide their malpractice. Malpractice that often -when the reports are finally made public- show that the hospital either knew about and tried to hide it, or engineered that malpractice through overly bureaucratic processes that did not fit with quality health care. The parents of the patient who died simply wanted to know the truth about what happened, and yet that was not easily available.

Although this is just a story I suspect it is highlighting the fact that this goes on, every day, in healthcare settings. Politics should have no place in healthcare but sadly it seems most hospitals are run by people like Andrew McGrath.

It's a very thought provoking film and Banks does a brilliant job of bringing Dr Elizabeth Taylor to life. I give it a solid 7.

I was touched by this movie. It compassionately illustrates the complexities of medicine and the people practicing it- it makes a striking point without painting a black and white portrait of a hero or villain. I enjoyed the acting from all of the cast, especially Banks. The actors portraying the deceased patient's parents did an amazing job too.

I was also moved by the juxtaposition of veterinary and human medicine, including points made about medical intervention and death with dignity.

It makes you wonder how anyone survives in the healthcare industry at times. It's easy to see why a healthcare worker might develop a hardened exterior.