Bloodletting

Even though eggs, chocolate and Jesus Christ Superstar took up the majority of my time this Easter weekend, I managed to catch up on the entire mini-series of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. This is based on the Giller Prize winning book by Vincent Lam. And like all movies/tv shows based on books, I tend to spend most the time wondering about the choices they made instead of looking at it as it's own work.

The biggest difference was the whole baby thing. At first, I was unsure about it but I really liked the last episode and the ending which tied that all up nicely so I suppose it was worth it. The difference I found most interesting though is that they made Fitz and Chen friends. It was much more of a love triangle but Fitz and Chen actually had a real relationship here. Which in way makes their conversations during the whole SARS accident make more sense but I think I liked it more where that was kind of the point where they were actually forced into a relationship. They had no one else to talk to so they turned to each other.

And though I did enjoy the little fantasy sequences (though I am a little upset that they pretty much fooled me each time) I didn't care for the brokenness of the time line. I know it was never really meant as a linear type story but I felt that the way they broke it up and portrayed it didn't really work for me. I believe that there were entire episodes that didn't have any parts that took place in the present at all. I think it could have been framed better.

Other things I liked:
(1) All the appearances of other Canadian actors, 3 of which were from Instant Star which I found slightly bizarre.
(2) The opening credits which appeared to be bizarrely similar to those of Murdoch. And then I realized they are both produced by Shaftesbury.
(3) At Halloween Fitz is dressed up a doctor handing out candy. A mother asks him if he is really a doctor and he responds: "No, I just play one on TV."