Losing It

Not to be confused with the Tom Cruise movie, this is director Sharon Greytak's second documentary about the lives of disabled people (after 1990's Weirded Out and Blown Away). It's a subject near and dear to her heart, as she herself is confined to an electric wheelchair following a crippling childhood disease and has naturally been curious as to whether she'd be treated differently if she lived in other countries. To that end, she travels the world, finding disabled people hidden from sight in the Communist world, ubiquitous in Sao Paulo and happily married with children in New York. Greytak seems almost disappointed that these people seem less frustrated with their conditions than she is, but is very amused at being treated like "a true archeological find" by Hong Kong doctors who have never seen a condition like hers. The cinematography often recalls MTV reality shows, which, given this film's budget, is impressive, but Greytak's narration can go on a bit too much; she may be a good visual director, but her words are not nearly so profound. Still, her film's an eye-opener.