Canada currently faces threats of economic decimation and political annexation by you know who.
Canadians have adopted a fightback phrase “Elbows Up” a metaphorical reference to hockey players aggressively using their elbows to defend and possibly strike back at aggressors.
Patrick Sean O’Brien is saddled with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) where the muscles atrophy in an inevitable termination of life usually within months of formal diagnosis. The termination is with extreme prejudice as the unaffected mind witnesses the inevitable deadly physical decline.
For those viewers without any ALS “experience” which includes watching friends and colleagues succumb to it the documentary may invoke feelings of horror, fear and pity. But you owe O’Brien more than that.
Pity, fear and horror are emotional observations by viewers being essentially selfish. Perhaps wonderment, inspiration, admiration, courage, raw emotion and yes even a laugh or two are respectful to Patrick Sean O’Brien a man of insight, satire and humour as he explains a few moments in his life to us. The animation and clips from old films and documentaries and O’Brien’s ceaseless wit throughout may lighten your emotional distress.
Physically wasted perhaps. Mentally charged indeed as how can you explain his co-direction, co-executive production and his screenwriting!
While he might not possess the brawn and robustness of Hemingway he is a massive elbows up guy in a cruel world.
J.R. Reed is O’Brien’s voice.
Winner of awards for best short documentary it will no doubt appear on screens throughout the world.
You can watch the trailer here https://vimeo.com/1044832501
RKS 2025 Short Film Rating 96/100.
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