[DVD Review (R2)] HER NAME IS SABINE
I don’t very often review documentaries. And after watching this, I’ve realised why! I love documentaries, I really do, but I’m really not looking forward to reviewing one ever again!
Anyway, Her Name Is Sabine tells the story of Sabine Bonnaire, sister of French actress Sandrine Bonnaire, and sufferer of autism. Sandrine herself directs the documentary, filming Sabine in the sheltered housing she is now in and contrasting how her sister is now with how she was as a child by frequently sharing family video footage of Sabine as a child.
The contrast between Sabine as a teenager and Sabine as an adult, after being hospitalized for 5 years and pumped full of drugs, is a marked one, and is a frightening indication of what can happen if a condition like autism isn’t treated correctly.
But this is a very sad, very touching and very funny film about a girl and her family and how they dealt with her autism and throughout it all Sandrine’s love for her sister shines as we are invited into what is actually a very private world.
I wouldn’t describe this as “enjoyable” but it is very interesting to see how Sabine changes over the years and how her family have tried to help her and it’s a very well put together documentary. The only thing that might have made it better would have been to learn some through some more input or narration from Sandrine, as what we get is very sparse, but as this is at it’s best a very personal documentary I can understand the lack of narration. It would have also been nice for some narrative from other members of Sabines’ family, as her other sisters and mother are mentioned frequently but there are no interviews or narrative from them.
This is not what I would call an enjoyable nights viewing but it is a very touching and thought provoking piece of work, and is certainly an eye opener to the way that autism was treated in recent years in France.
2 Responses to “[DVD Review (R2)] HER NAME IS SABINE”
I work with people with learning disabilities and in an environment given coverage in this documentary. I’d say there were a lot of severely valid and well made points on the subject made within the documentary. It IS an “enjoyable” experience in so much as the feelings it makes you consider within yourself and the questions it pushes you to ask. “Enjoyable” as in “throwaway entertainment” in the style of Michael Moore or what not? Nooooo!
Very good review though mate! One question though: You open your review with…
“I don’t very often review documentaries. And after watching this, I’ve realised why! I love documentaries, I really do, but I’m really not looking forward to reviewing one ever again!”
But you don’t really pay mention as to why you’re not looking forward to reviewing one again? Why is it? This wasn’t so bad that it put you off in terms of quality? So is it the subject matter? Has it made you more cautious? I didn’t understand that bit.
Did I forget to mention why I said that? Well, mainly it’s because reviews are easier when there’s something to critique – like acting. Now, if a documentary is boring then I should imagine it’d be quite easy to rip it apart but this, which is by no means boring, I found very hard to put into words.
And no, I had no problems with the subject matter. Things like this, even if they’re upsetting, don’t cause me problems.
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