Film review: 'Andre is an Idiot' and so was I

The movie poster reminds me of art by Salvador Dali

To think this was a comedy!

Well, kinda sorta if you can take the ride to death with André Ricciardi as he makes light of his colon cancer discovered at Stage 4, several years before he succumbed. 

André Is an Idiot opened at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2025 when the film received several awards and strong reviews, says Wikipedia. Since then, the film, directed and produced by Tony Benna, has received more awards and nominations.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics gave it a 97, my reason for going.

André is a lot darker than I anticipated, watching the comedy gradually die with André who failed to get a colonoscopy in time. 

Stupid!  Said his mother and a whole lot more.

André is a very funny, funny guy, but it’s painful to see his physical state decline after so many months. His mental state never withers (except for a saddened emotional state, natch) but there goes the comedy with his death. 

André, his brother, André's wife Janice, his close friend Lee Einhorn (who's also the executive producer), and more are interviewed extensively, along with André's daughters.

The film also presents an example of a happy, long-term marriage that was happenstance!  

Imagine.  It happens.

A shortened version of André, say 15 to 20 minutes or so, would be valuable for all those community centers with senior programs.  

But getting a colonoscopy should happen well before you become a senior citizen, like at age 45 to start. 

Message:  Get one.

Location: San Francisco 

patricialesli@gmail.com

'Jim Allison: Breakthrough' is a documentary

From Jim Allison:  Breakthrough

Maybe Ann Hornaday is a scientist on the side.  Or a frustrated wannabe scientist.  

Or she's married to one. 

Or majored in biology, or her mom and/or dad is a biologist. 

Maybe Ann Hornaday has a special relationship with a biologist or another scientist or immunologist. 

Maybe she knows the director, the producers, etc. etc.

Whatever (she's the chief movie reviewer for the Washington Post), I went to see Jim Allison: Breakthrough based on her recommendation to "'just see it'" and, "go twice," and "you won't regret it, and you'll never forget it."  And, another one:
"Just see the dang thing,"

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am here to tell you that you don't need to see it twice.  You don't need to even see it once (unless you're a scientist or a drug marketer or a pharmaceutical company).  

I've seen it for you. 

It's okay; it's a "feel good" story, describing Dr. Allison's life as he pursues his dream, his remarkable persistence and personal driving force to find a cancer cure to help assuage the death of his mother, his brother, his uncle, and now, he's got cancer, too. (And so will you, if you live long enough.)

Congratulations to Dr. Allison and his colleagues for winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018. And (!), he plays the harmonica...with none other than Willie Nelson! 

This is a good documentary.  It's not a great documentary. 

I do not think it will any awards.  It will not be nominated.

A great story but certainly not a "must see."

I have recommended it to my daughter, a biologist.

It is an education in the long time it takes pharmaceutical companies to get new drugs to the marketplace.

Maybe a re-edited version will cut the many variations of the ocean scene with the Allison brothers which must have been screened at least five times. 

Written and directed by Bill Haney.  The excellent music by Mickey Raphael and Mark Orton exceeds expectations. 


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