Review of Awakenings (1990) by Shaun K L — 18 Sep 2010
De Niro plays the role of a patient (Leonard Lowe) with a neurological disorder (Encephalitis Lethargica AKA "sleepy sickness"), which really really sucks (the disease attacks the brain, leaving some victims in a statue-like condition, speechless and motionless; and you know, the cause of Encephalitis Lethargica IS NOT KNOWN.
.. :-)). Anyway, he was treated by this doctor (Robin Williams), who used a psychoactive drug called L-DOPA during the treatment. The drug awoke Leonard... It's the true story of British neurologist Oliver Sacks (it's based on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir "Awakenings").
Skillfully made one -- 4 out of 5. [Curious stuff: between 1915 and 1926, an epidemic of Encephalitis Lethargica spread around the world; no recurrence of the epidemic has since been reported. YET]. ;-).
This review of Awakenings (1990) was written by Shaun K L on 18 Sep 2010.
Awakenings has generally received very positive reviews.
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