Wow, this was tough going. The words I'm going to use to recommend this documentary will probably do it more harm than good. But then, how do you recommend people to go to pay to see a man die. Death, however, is only one element of I Am Breathing - it's about legacy, strength, guilt, sheer bloody-mindedness and love.
He is only thirty-three, married a short three years and with a baby boy barely a few months old, but Neil Platt's life is given a deadline, as he is diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. He always expected he would inherit the disease from his father, who died in his fifties, but was caught by surprise when it developed so early. Eight months after he notices he's walking with a slight limp, and Neil can't move, completely dependent on his wife, Louise. Before he becomes completely incapacitated, Neil sets out to do two things: start a blog to help bring awareness to what is commonly known in the U.S. as Lou Gherig's Disease, and to write a letter to his son, Oscar.
It's the latter that tugs at the heart strings the most, as Neil tries to imagine what kind of advice his fifteen to twenty-year-old son might need in a future he can't possibly fathom. Directors Emma Daive and Morag McKinnon make good use of the home video footage at their disposal, cutting from Neil in his bubbly prime - including some heart-breaking scenes of him carrying baby Oscar before the disease takes hold - and sharply contrasting that with the prone figure in the chair in the sitting room. The directors can be accused of cutting too liberally, though, as Neil's thoughts about Oscar and his hopes for his future are frustratingly cut short on a regular basis.
What's oddly missing is the fear, frustration and anger you'd expect; bar one or two moments, one which has Neil sadly dispense his plan for when he can no longer speak, I Am Breathing is noticeable for its lack of tears - Neil and Louise have very much accepted what's going to happen. The strength of this couple is powerful stuff.
"A tale of fun and laughs, with a smattering of upset and devastation," announces Neil's first blog post and the first thing we encounter in this documentary. Yeah, that's about right.
