The aw
ard winning documentary Under Our Skin is a tale of money, microbes and a medical system that is failing us. U.O.S. exposes the growing, hidden epidemic of Lyme Disease and the controversy surrounding it. The film follows patients and physicians fighting for their lives and their livelihoods.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 19 2009, announced that Under Our Skin was selected as one of the 15 finalists competing for “Best Documentary Feature” in the 82nd Academy Awards®.
A few reviews about the film.
"Makes a powerful argument...like a well-made thriller, gets under your skin."(full article)
- Michael O'Sullivan, The Washington Post
"Heart-rending...inflammatory."
- Stephen Holden, New York Times
"Fascinating...artful and compelling." (full article)
- Frank DiGiacomo, Vanity Fair
Into the Light Gala Theatrical premiere of Under Our Skin
Into the Light Gala was held at the Ballantyne Village Theater on March 20 2009
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Hosted by the Jemsek Specialty Clinic of South Carolina, the event was sponsored by the highly successful, New York City based Turn the Corner Foundation, a not-for-profit public charity dedicated to the support of research, education, awareness and innovative treatments for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Co-sponsoring the event was The National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association, a charity with more than 1800 members in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area that dedicates itself to improving the quality of life for people suffering from Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
Video from Into the Light Gala premiere
Dr. Jemsek starts speaking at the 6 minute mark in the video.Under Our Skin has been attracting a lot of media attention helping to further the cause of educating the world about the realities of an epidemic that is flying under the radar. A recent review about the film being on the Oscar's Short list paints UOS in a less than desirable light. Click below for the article from the movie critic Owen Gleiberman.
He starts the review off by criticizing the branch members of not watching the films by saying,"This year’s list, though, isn’t just lackluster — there’s something fundamentally off about it. It’s almost perverse. Compiled by a star chamber of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters (it’s not specified how many of the 151 documentary branch members actually watch the films and produce the final roster), the list omits far too many of the documentaries — like, nearly all of them — that were sought out by audiences and acclaimed by critics. It ignores too many of the movies that were seen, praised, and loved."
For every person who was not impressed by this film I have spoken to 50 that were.
I was surprised UOS did not receive a positive review from him , since he claims the following,
just a couple of paragraphs after his comments on UOS:
"Look, I see and I praise — at times on a weekly basis – documentaries that seek to make a difference in the world. I believe in that kind of mission filmmaking. Yet part of the extraordinary renaissance of documentary filmmaking in our time has been, more than ever, to liberate the art of non-fiction from the furrowed-brow imperatives of social justice. Yes, Hoop Dreams (1994) is a great film, but it was really Crumb (1995), arguably the most haunting documentary of its era, that pushed the form toward an almost novelistic dimension."
The part of the review on UOS is this:
"Yet as I look over this list, I see far too many movies that don’t belong there — and, frankly, too many that made it because they were about subjects that rendered them “worthy.” Take, for instance, Under Our Skin, a documentary about Lyme disease that embraces, with bits and pieces of skimpy evidence and a whole lot more paranoid leftist fervor, the notion that “chronic Lyme disease” is a condition that the medical establishment is locked in a conspiracy to deny the existence of. The filmmakers actually bungle what should have been their real subject (that the belief in chronic Lyme disease has become something of a cult, one that can ruin the lives of the people who think they have it). But the bottom line, to me, is that Under Our Skin is not a very well-made movie. It played in theaters for about two minutes, and frankly, that’s more or less what it deserved."
Notice nowhere does he claim to have watched the film. Especially interesting since he does comment on this at the beginning- and seems rather critical over this when it is others who 'judge' films without watching them. Maybe he did watch it and just forgot to mention it.
I was hoping to pull apart what he said, however there really isn't anything to respond to because it is all so vague. I say thank you for writing 'poor' review 'poorly'. He is insulting to say the least- and seems to be trying hard to be. I think he has discredited himself enough by the lack of relevant content on UOS. Why does he not like it? I'm still not sure - yet now I am indifferent to his opinions so I won't be reading anything else from this writer. He leaves me with nothing compelling to understand his point of view.
The article by Owen finishes with:
"Dare I use the F-word? They should be fun. This list just isn’t.
So which documentaries have you seen this year that you think should be nominated for the Oscar?"
The critical way he speaks of UOS has little to do with the actual movie and more about the topic it is about. Yet it is still an emotional response. He is stepping out of place with such a 'review'. Maybe just an attention grabbing tactic- who knows. The Lyme controversy did not just start with this man's opinion, yet it is all too typical when people have been kept in the dark so long about an epidemic that is in their own backyard. Scary stuff and we do expect a lot of denial along this way. If "Lyme" is real, then what does that mean? It means we have very big problem!
Get educated people and save yourself a lot of aggravation. Do your own homework- and don't listen to most "opinions" on Lyme and tick borne infections. Get to the 'right' sources- and there are many now.
Full review from EW:
http://movie-critics.ew.com/2009/11/20/oscar-documentary-scandal/#more-3314
Watch the trailer of the film here.
