Médecin de Campagne or Irreplaceable written (with others) and directed by Thomas Lilti

Médecin de Campagne or Irreplaceable written (with others) and directed by Thomas Lilti

A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:

-              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E  and   http://realini.blogspot.ro/

This a meaningful film.

We do not have superman in his usual guise.

But even without the famous garb, The Medecin de Campagne is a superhero.

He has dedicated his life to helping and caring for his patients.

When he learns that he is affected by a tumor, he tries to get another doctor to take some responsibility.

The hero Jean- Pierre Werner is played by the exceptional François Cluzet.

Natalie, the one to „replace the Irreplaceable” is played by the very good Marianne Denicourt and has problems early on.

Jean-Pierre seems to be dedicated beyond reason to his patients, whom he at times appears to regard as his kids.

He is in the happy group of people who have a

-          Calling

In evry profession, it was revealed by reaserch that there are three categories of people:

-          One group is doing work for money

-          Another is interested in satus, fame and promotions

-          The last and happiest is soing the job because they have The Calling!

And this is the case for Jean- Pierre.

With a cynical perspective, he could be seen as

-          Obsessive compulsive

After all, when the new doctor in town is suggesting reasonable and decent remedies and measures, the Irreplaceable is angry.

Take the case of the old man, who is in a bad state and Natalie wants to hospitalize, because his conditon would get worse:

-          No!

In fact, when she does committ the man, at a later stage and after trying to reach Jean Pierre on the telephone:

-          You’re fired!

-          ??

-          Take your things an leave!

He is so mad that he is willing to send Natalie away, because the audience learns that he had promised never to get the man in a hospital.

There are some good points there, with the patient being abandoned on account oh his age and the carelesness of employees in such institutions.

But still, the Irrepleaceble is over reacting to say the least.

It takes a further crisis to change all this...

As it usually happens in a narrative with doctors, a serious accident happens.

And it requires more than skill and theoretical knowledge.

The doctor dealing with this emertgency needs to have a cool head, initiative, grit, self –control and courage, among other skills.

Natalie proves herself.

I thought of my sister when watching this film, becasue she has been a Médecin de Campagne, albeit not in the French countryside.

She had to endure hardship in the planes of Tennessee, near Memphis, where the patients have not been as nice as in this fiction.

A doctor has good chances to reach Flow, a state of grace, or being in the zone, as it is revealed in the classic

-          Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi