Athens International Film + Video Festival review: States of Grace is an unflinching look at physical disabilities and how it affects people beyond those who are crippled, which a raw edge, if a short running time.
A diligent but respectfully handled look at loss and revival, Helen Cohen and Mark Lipman’s documentary States of Grace is a raw and often powerful examination of what becomes of not just those affected by physical disabilities, both first and second-hand, but what becomes of the human spirit in wake of near-fatal tragedy.
Dr. Grace Dammann, an AIDS specialist who pioneered her field to great breakthroughs, drove across the Golden Gate Bridge on day when an incoming car struck her, head-on. In a coma for weeks, unresponsive and with dozen of surgeries continuously putting her life at risk, many assumed this was the end of Dammann’s life, including her old partner Fu Schroeder and their adopted cerebral palsy daughter Sabrina.
To their surprise, however, Grace miracrously awoke from her medical sleep after presumed a near vegetable. After her year of personal training and medical discharge, Cohen and Lipman follow the revitalized family in their Buddhist community as they attempt to adjust to their new lives.
Like the most sterling of documentaries, Lipman and Cohen earn the full trust of their subjects, at least as far as their complied footage lets you believe. Their honest, heartbreaking confessions lead to some highly emotional situations, and provide some fascinating, if brief, looks at what couple with disabilities must overcome in their daily lives. This is only improved upon as States of Grace continues, as the centerpieces feel more open and upfront about what has happened and where they think they should go to move forward.
In a point this writer rarely makes when it comes to documentaries, States of Grace is among the few documentaries of late where the filmmakers should have extended their running time —here a mere 75 minutes—to obtain more liberty and availability to expand their story and subjects’ point-of-views. Although a well-executed real-life story, there are quite a few thematic places that could have been explored, and moments where you wish Cohen and Lipman kept to their convictions and focused even harder. What’s here, however, does certainly resonate enough to make an impact.
Often, though, it’s apparent from Dammann’s personality that she can be a more internal, thoughtful person. So the struggles she faces come at a more calculated price. When she does open up, however, it’s by far the greatest moments in the feature. Two scenes in particular, which were captured not by the directors but by Schroeder on her Flipcam, truly demonstrate the weight and hardship of Dammann’s situation and how she attempts to reconvene in light of her tragic medical history.
As she tearfully confesses her fears and concerns, this is when States of Grace truly excels into examining what Grace has had to overcome and still gets deflated by. If this were found all that way through the movie, it would no doubt be among the most awe-striking documentaries of the past decade. It’s a levelheaded film but, of course, it’s evident Lipman and Cohen side with the doctor. Of course, how could one not? To their credit, however, they stay as objective or, at least, non-intrusive as possible and make the best of what they can capture in a given moment.
Although the feature could afford to be longer, there are moments where, even at its limited running time, States of Graces sometimes comes across as a little listless. Through the middle, it’s though they want to capture her struggles, but don’t know how exactly to keep the situation of the moment and its stakes in a constantly noticeable fashion. No matter, though, for these scenes often lead up to the power of the most memorable scenes, so maybe these on-going slices of reality play well into what we make of this family and their moral dilemmas.
States of Grace is a supremely affecting feature, with resounding impact only more apparent as it continues. For what it lacks in running time, it makes up for in emotions. And while it may just be a merely brief peek into the lives of those who struggle with the physical afflictions on a daily basis, at least it’s harrowing enough to stay inside your mind for a more appropriate amount of time.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
@thewillofash
