tenafterdave

Yeah, at times this docudrama drags a bit. And at worse times it feels a bit like an advertising stunt to win back the hearts of wayward fans. But overall I found myself admiring a woman who grew up in the spotlight only to find herself accused of cheating? I dont think so. She was too easily caught by a common test to be engaging in sneaky cheating with a mundane substance of questionable efficacy in giving her a true advantage. For somebody with Sharapova's ability to reel in huge prize money and appearance bucks to risk her career on a just-banned drug with barely more advantage than aspirin or celecoxib would be more naive than anything.

I could be wrong, of course. But in this film, it looks to me like Maria is more of a victim than a villian. I hope she can prove her accusers wrong. She comes off like a woman with great talent who - because of this incident - was forced to grow up and work like mad just to get her groove going again. Here's hoping her hard work and newfound awareness pay off, and not just in monetary terms.

It seems people who have had experience with strokes or other brain injuries are the first to be weighing in about this film. I thought it was an excellent, commendably honest look at the confusion and frustration which are common components of the injured brain. (In my case, I experienced a fractured skull with subdural hematoma when I was just entering my teen years. It took a full year of therapy for me to fully recover.) I was spared aphasia, yet I experienced hemi-paralysis and remember vividly the cognitive distortions and unreal-seeming surprises that occurred, much as they to do the brave Lotje in the film.

All in all, I thought this was an outstanding film, and wish nothing but the very best for the brave young lady who documented her experience.