Hippocrate
I don't know what things are like behind the scenes in a French hospital, but you get the feeling when watching this film that it is perhaps a fairly accurate portrayal. The fact that the director, Thomas Lilti, is a medical doctor, goes a long way to explaining why this may be the case. There's quite a lot of dark humour as the staff joke about a range of medical issues, along with some serious partying.
Benjamin arrives for his first stint at the hospital full of confidence. The fact that his father is a senior doctor at the same hospital turns out to be more of a liability than a blessing, but Benjamin is keen to impress. He soon meets up with Abdel, an Algerian doctor who is interning at the hospital as his qualifications are not accepted in France. It soon becomes clear that Abdul has the benefit of experience, something Benjamin is lacking.
One evening Monsieur Lemoine, a patient known by the staff as Tsunami, and for his drinking, is admitted. Later in the evening he complains of chest pains. Benjamin requests an ECG but is told that the machine is broken. Instead of pressing the matter he accepts this, although one feels that he perhaps believes the pains are a result of the drinking. Lemoine dies, and Benjamin is criticised for his response to the situation. He himself feels remorse but his father moves to cover for him. When Madame Lemoine comes in to learn the facts of her husband's death, she is given a false story. This weighs heavy on Benjamin's mind.
Subsequently a further incident leads to both Benjamin and Abdul being taken before a disciplinary hearing. The outcome is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Benjamin, who is still harbouring the guilt from the death of Monsieur Lemoine. What follows has implications for Benjamin, the hospital and the staff, not all of which are bad.
It's a film worth watching if you have an interest in medical drama, and especially if you want to compare the French model with Casualty.
Benjamin arrives for his first stint at the hospital full of confidence. The fact that his father is a senior doctor at the same hospital turns out to be more of a liability than a blessing, but Benjamin is keen to impress. He soon meets up with Abdel, an Algerian doctor who is interning at the hospital as his qualifications are not accepted in France. It soon becomes clear that Abdul has the benefit of experience, something Benjamin is lacking.
One evening Monsieur Lemoine, a patient known by the staff as Tsunami, and for his drinking, is admitted. Later in the evening he complains of chest pains. Benjamin requests an ECG but is told that the machine is broken. Instead of pressing the matter he accepts this, although one feels that he perhaps believes the pains are a result of the drinking. Lemoine dies, and Benjamin is criticised for his response to the situation. He himself feels remorse but his father moves to cover for him. When Madame Lemoine comes in to learn the facts of her husband's death, she is given a false story. This weighs heavy on Benjamin's mind.
Subsequently a further incident leads to both Benjamin and Abdul being taken before a disciplinary hearing. The outcome is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Benjamin, who is still harbouring the guilt from the death of Monsieur Lemoine. What follows has implications for Benjamin, the hospital and the staff, not all of which are bad.
It's a film worth watching if you have an interest in medical drama, and especially if you want to compare the French model with Casualty.