The Dropout

Author
Discussion

cuprabob

Original Poster:

15,712 posts

221 months

Monday 18th March
quotequote all
For those who don't have Disney+ and didn't get a chance to see this excellent drama about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, it is being shown on BBC1, starting tomorrow night with E1 & E2 at 22:40 & 23:00 respectively. Amanda Seyfried plays a blinder.

Eric Mc

122,858 posts

272 months

Tuesday 19th March
quotequote all
I followed the real case in period, watched the docs and read the book so I might give it a go.

Edited to provide this link - all episodes are available on iPlayer now -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001wgpg/th...

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 19th March 09:19

Hedobot

694 posts

156 months

Tuesday 19th March
quotequote all
Its bloody brilliant !

Elroy Blue

8,718 posts

199 months

Tuesday 19th March
quotequote all
I've watched it twice. Brilliant TV

Eric Mc

122,858 posts

272 months

Wednesday 20th March
quotequote all
Started watching it and two episodes in.

A few observations.

Holmes comes across as an airhead - she isn't.
Holmes comes across as monosyllabic and unintelligible - she isn't.

As a comparison, it might be worthwhile watching the real Holme's videoed deposition from 2017 compared to how it is portrayed in the film version. It's much easier to hear what the real person said and she was far less waffly than portrayed.

Overall, the dialogue is indistinct and poorly articulated. Everybody, with a few exceptions, has a bad case of "the mumbles". Even Stephen Fry, who plays the English engineer who worked for Theranos, doesn't speak very clearly. This indicates to me that this is more of a sound levels decision by the film makers rather than any fault of the actors as no one can accuse Mr Fry of speaking in an indistinct way.

Too much background pop music.

However, despite all that I will perservere as the story is interesting.


Hedobot

694 posts

156 months

Wednesday 20th March
quotequote all
Dopesick , which is in the same vein is very well worth a watch.

I preferred it to The Dropout

Elroy Blue

8,718 posts

199 months

Wednesday 20th March
quotequote all
I thought she got Holmes voice and mannerisms spot on.

cuprabob

Original Poster:

15,712 posts

221 months

Wednesday 20th March
quotequote all
Hedobot said:
Dopesick , which is in the same vein is very well worth a watch.

I preferred it to The Dropout
You're not the first to say that, I must give it a go.

Eric Mc

122,858 posts

272 months

Wednesday 20th March
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
I thought she got Holmes voice and mannerisms spot on.
I'll see how it develops over the future episodes. The real Holmes did a "Mrs Thatcher" and deliberately lowered her voice register in an attempt to sound authoratitive.

However, her voice was always clear and you could always hear what she said - even if it was all a load of old guff and lies.

Eric Mc

122,858 posts

272 months

Wednesday 20th March
quotequote all
Getting better with each episode.

cuprabob

Original Poster:

15,712 posts

221 months

Thursday 21st March
quotequote all
cuprabob said:
Hedobot said:
Dopesick , which is in the same vein is very well worth a watch.

I preferred it to The Dropout
You're not the first to say that, I must give it a go.
I'm now half way through Dopesick and it is also brilliant. Thanks for nudging me to watch it.

vixen1700

24,206 posts

277 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
Finished this last night and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it after not really feeling it at the start.

Didn't really know anything about the case or Elizabeth Holmes at the time, but it's jaw-dropping that such a fraud with such sums of money and people like Kissinger involved could happen. Wow!

cuprabob

Original Poster:

15,712 posts

221 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
cuprabob said:
cuprabob said:
Hedobot said:
Dopesick , which is in the same vein is very well worth a watch.

I preferred it to The Dropout
You're not the first to say that, I must give it a go.
I'm now half way through Dopesick and it is also brilliant. Thanks for nudging me to watch it.
Now finished Dopesick and as Hedobot says it is definitely worth a watch, especially if you liked The Dropout.

Eric Mc

122,858 posts

272 months

Wednesday 27th March
quotequote all
vixen1700 said:
Finished this last night and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it after not really feeling it at the start.

Didn't really know anything about the case or Elizabeth Holmes at the time, but it's jaw-dropping that such a fraud with such sums of money and people like Kissinger involved could happen. Wow!
Once it got going it got better. I really enjoyed it in the end. I was VERY familiar with the story having followed it closely once it broke about six or seven years ago.

Oliver Hardy

3,001 posts

81 months

Thursday 18th April
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Started watching it and two episodes in.

A few observations.

Holmes comes across as an airhead - she isn't.
Holmes comes across as monosyllabic and unintelligible - she isn't.

As a comparison, it might be worthwhile watching the real Holme's videoed deposition from 2017 compared to how it is portrayed in the film version. It's much easier to hear what the real person said and she was far less waffly than portrayed.

Overall, the dialogue is indistinct and poorly articulated. Everybody, with a few exceptions, has a bad case of "the mumbles". Even Stephen Fry, who plays the English engineer who worked for Theranos, doesn't speak very clearly. This indicates to me that this is more of a sound levels decision by the film makers rather than any fault of the actors as no one can accuse Mr Fry of speaking in an indistinct way.

Too much background pop music.

However, despite all that I will perservere as the story is interesting.
Would you have a link to these videos you mention.

Also how come the guy (I forget his name) got a longer sentance than Elizabeth Holmes?

cuprabob

Original Poster:

15,712 posts

221 months

Thursday 18th April
quotequote all
Oliver Hardy said:
Would you have a link to these videos you mention.

Also how come the guy (I forget his name) got a longer sentance than Elizabeth Holmes?
Just put "Elizabeth Holmes 2017 deposition" into Google / YouTube and you'll find them.

His name is Sunny Balwani and the reason given is as follows;

"Prosecutors meanwhile urged a sentence of 15 years and $803m in restitution. They argued that through inaccurate blood tests at Theranos, Balwani had shown “conscious or reckless risk of death or serious bodily injury” toward patients and deserved a longer sentence than Holmes."