Morningside

I found this film very disappointing. I would have expected a film by a 91 year old 'titan' of French cinema (as the Film Festival described Costa-Gavras) about a philosopher and a palliative care doctor to be full of interesting philosophical insights and thoughtful (and thought-provoking) elements. Unfortunately it is superficial in the extreme. I went with my wife, who is a hospital doctor) who said the portayal of medical care was ridiculous, and the very brief section of dialogue about philosophy was simply a list of different ideas about the afterlife. Fabrice Toussaint (the philosopher) uttered not one word to suggest that he was a philosopher and his character alternated between childlike bemusement and narcissistic self-interest. Augustin Masset (the doctor) betrayed patient confidentiality in almost every scene and didn't even ask the patients whether they would mind a non-medical person sitting in on his consultations. As for the familial relationships shown in the film, they were superficial and laughable. And they got more absurd as the film progressed. The motorcycle club scene was a very tired cliche and the nonsense about the gypsy group bordered on farce. The whole thing was a soulless wasted opportunity with the intellectual and emotional depth of a styrofoam cup.