In “The Cancer Wing”, the book by Nobel Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn from 1966, there is a character of a doctor, the head of the radiation institute, who discovers that she has cancer and refuses to hear about treatment. I remembered Ludmila’s character while watching the first two episodes of “Love Sick”, the new Keshet 12 drama. The series’ protagonist, Amalia Levy, is a surgeon in the oncology department in Ichilov, who discovers that she has a malignant tumor in her breast. Contrary to the instructions she gives to her patients, Amalia (Ayelet Zorer) did not pay attention to routine examinations, and the lump grew until she noticed it by accidental palpation. In response to the discovery, Amalia gathers within herself, does not answer the phones from the doctors (Amnon Wolff, Hana Laslow) and repeatedly postpones the surgery. Doctors, it is said, are the worst patients.
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“Lovesick” | Screenshot, Keshet 12
Amalia guides Shirin (Shadan Kanbora), the trainee doctor who accompanies her, to take an emotional distance from the patients, otherwise she will have difficulty making correct medical decisions. To the patients she usually says “we will do everything possible and hope for the best”. She also tries to treat her illness with a professional distance, but when no one sees, she allows herself to fall apart. Ayelet Zorer embodies this contrast well in the character of the successful career woman, and creates a heroine that we want to follow in the next chapters.
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“Love Sick” is the first TV series created by the duo of filmmakers Sharon Maimon and Tal Granit (“Mita Tova”). Last year, the English-speaking film “Sof Tov” was released, a problematic adaptation of Anat Gov’s play about a famous actress who is hospitalized in an oncology ward and faces the recognition of the end of the battle. The script for that movie is signed by Rona Tamir, who wrote the series with them. I don’t know what preceded why, but according to the first two episodes that were sent for review, it seems that “Lovesick” is a more complete and convincing work, better written and directed, that found the right tone for dealing with material that is not naughty.
“Lovesick” | Screenshot, Keshet 12
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Amalia is on friendly terms with her nice ex (Zohar Strauss) and the father of her teenage children. Her younger sister Mena Adi (Nelly Tager) is a failed stand-up artist, who has trouble finding the personal story through which she can connect with the audience in the club where she performs. When Adi discovers the fact of Amalia’s illness, she immediately bursts into tears, unlike her reserved sister. Then she embraces her cancer as the basis for a show full of gallows humor and captivates the audience. This scam is a successful plot and dramatic line, which adds a spice of pointed humor to the series, and anticipation of a future conflict, and the role sits on a challenge like a glove. Oleg Levin contributes a charismatic and rugged masculine presence as the club manager who has his eye on her.
“Lovesick” | Screenshot, Keshet 12
A more slippery and elusive character is that of Micah Haddad (Amos Tamm), a member of the Knesset and former Minister of Health, who comes to Amalia’s operating table for breast cancer. Haddad is in the midst of an election campaign – he aspires to be prime minister – and is accompanied by his advisor (Yoav Levy) who is only thinking about how to hide the unmanly disease from the public eye. It seems that Haddad was built in the image of Yair Lapid, and at least in the first episodes the series does not reveal to us what his political leanings are. In these days of war and division, this image of the popular politician is experienced as anachronistic.
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Micah spreads smiles everywhere, and especially towards Amalia, and according to the name of the series and the synopsis on Wikipedia, it seems that in the future a romance will develop between them based on the partnership of fate. But Micha is married (to Dana Samo) and at this stage of the series there is still no sexual tension between him and Amalia. It seems that his smiles are part of the political image he has built for himself – Amalia calls him “the poster boy of the Tofu Growers’ Union” – and the question is whether in the future a whole person worthy of love will be revealed behind them.
“Lovesick” | Screenshot, Keshet 12
It is difficult to write an informed review based on watching only two episodes. Sarah von Schwartz, who according to the reports plays a central character of a member of Micah’s party who undermines him, will only appear later, and will probably strengthen the political layer. There is an option that she will be the marked villain of the series, because in the meantime all the characters are sympathetic, and this is said positively. Will “Love Sick” deepen the pain and anxiety of dealing with the disease? Will the love between the two careerists, who suppressed the cancer until it grew to dangerous proportions, develop convincingly and touch the hearts of the viewers? Will the political layer be meaningful? At this point it’s too early to tell, but the beginning certainly invites you to keep watching.
“Lovesick”, Monday 21:30, Keshet 12
The article was first published on the “Time Out” website