Cinecity: Chronic

Following the life of hospice nurse David (Tim Roth), ‘Chronic’ paints a considered, occasionally heartbreaking portrait of the reality of end-of-life care, and the uneasy relationships between patients, their families and the caregivers who see them at their most vulnerable.

Director Michel Franco lets scenes play out in real time – early on, we watch an AIDs patient receive a sponge bath from beginning to end, camera never cutting or moving, so we are forced to dwell upon her skeletal body, her pain. The result is often challenging, but feels truthful, and Roth’s measured performance brings the film together.

Duke’s At Komedia, 25 November 2015

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