medfair-98640

Philip Dupuis (who also directed the movie) plays a middle-aged country doctor. He practices the "old" medicine, where relation to patients and their overall well-being is more important than the most contemporary treatment in a modern dehumanized health industry machine. When he is told he has advanced, perhaps untreatable cancer, he tries to continue his practice despite trips to the city hospital for his chemo sessions. Eventually, he has to give in and allow a help/replacement doctor to take over treating his patients. Sandrine Lopez plays a not-so-young woman MD, who studied medicine after years of nursing and clearly lacks experience as a doctor, and particularly as a country doctor. The clash is both predictable and inevitable. Yet, gradually, the replacement learns to respect her mentor's approach, while he learns to trust her medical judgement and human qualities. The movie is very low key, but the subject, life expectancy vs quality, is very well presented. Dupuis avoids the pitfall of the doctor falling in love with his replacement (a mistake every American movie would have made), but errs on the side of over-optimism and goodie-goodie characterization. Nevertheless, excellent directing and acting and a movie to cherish and talk about. Definitely worth one's time

La Vache is a French comedy describing Fatah, an Algerian peasant from an obscure village, whose dream is to take his beloved cow Jacqueline to the Paris agricultural fair and competition. With the help of his fellow villagers, Jacqeline and Fatah cross the Mediterranean and start walking across France to Paris. Fatah meets many good people who help him and love his good humor and innocence, while he becomes a TV and Web celebrity and his progress is watched by millions in France, and also by his native village. Will he make the competition? Will Jacqueline win? You'll have to watch the movie to find out. I had a few laughs and enjoyed Fatsah Bouyahmed acting Fatah, but for the most of it one gets the feeling that one has seen this movie many times. In a nutshell it is blow-by-blow a parallel to The World Fastest Indian. Both heroes cross the sea (or the ocean) to get their beloved possession (the cow Jacqeline or the antique Indian motorcycle) for a world- class competition, both get financially helped by their compatriots, both meet with sometimes serious and often funny obstacles, both encounter romantic possibilities, both have to get to the competition at the last minute (and are denied entrance). Morevoer, both heroes project good humor, perseverance, and their non-blase naivete presents simple wisdom that puts the convoluted and frantic West way of life to true test. Despite these superficial similarities, The World Wld Fastest Indian is an intelligent, refined and meaningful humorous drama, while La Vache is Junior High level slapstick. Although Bouyahmed is endearing, he is a far shot from Anthony Hopkins. And last, but far from least, Jacqueline is just a cow (and not terribly attractive at that), whereas the Indian bike has a soul. As for photography, Fatah and his Cow walking through French cities is far from the beautiful, lyrical night scene of Vittorio De Sica walking his elephant through empty Rome in Hello Elephant. A harmless small movie, OK for early teens and those that would like to go back to that age.