EIFF Review: 39 Pounds of Love

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Some documentaries may have interesting subjects but are real yawners. I remember struggling through Grey Gardens by the Maysles brothers. It screened at last year's fest and although "direct cinema" is a great concept, the lack of structure makes for a real hit and miss proposition â€" if something cool happens, then the audience's interest will be up; if not, and likely more don't than do, it's like watching grass grow as people go about their lives.

39 Pounds of Love has more structure than that and some good editing for time out of what I perceived as an otherwise amateur crew. I enjoyed this doc quite a bit but none of it really has anything to do with the structure.

39 is the number of pounds that Ami Ankilewitz weighs. 34 is his age. My three-year-old son weighs about that much. Ami was born in Texas with a rare form of muscular dystrophy and the doctor told his mother that he wouldn't live past 6. Looking at this man made me feel a bit awkward at first. He is, after all, literally nothing but skin and bones. He can only move one finger on one hand. He comes off like a human bobblehead because he does not have the neck strength to keep his head straight. Whatever awkwardness there exists for looking at him is lost once you get to understand his vitality and desire for life. He has a tattoo, drinks whiskey, and is deeply in love with Christina, his one time Romanian caretaker. He let her go because she couldn't reciprocate his feelings.

This is the side story, a romantic undercurrent, of 39 but the real adventure is about Ami's lifelong dream to travel to America from his home in Israel. Against his parents' wishes, he goes to California, armed with willpower, a Winnebago, and his friends (the film crew). For them it's a road trip but to him, it's like climbing Everest. Their journey is one of both quest and conquest, to seek out and confront the doctor who gave a limit to his life, a limit that Ami surpassed long ago. In several humourous/menacing scenes, Ami can be heard calling out "Cordova... Cordova..." like a grand game of hide and seek was being played out.

Apart from Water, this is another early favourite for its depiction of a man, a skeleton with the soul of a Harley Davidson. Very tender at times, ultimately it is an inspiration to all who still have dreams.

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