"Whole" is a documentary about some very strange people who see their identity as a disabled person missing a limb. The problem is, they HAVE working limbs! So, to fit this hidden sense of self, they either bind up their limbs or destroy their limbs so that doctors are forced to amputate! The film itself appears to have been made on a shoestring budget. This isn't a complaint--the filmmakers did what they could afford to do. Plus, they traveled about the globe to interview folks and I appreciate that. But, as far as the look of the film goes, it appears to have been filmed on a home video or digital video camera and the production values are rather limited.
I think my reaction is different from other viewers for one major reason. I have two daughters with ACTUAL physical disabilities and so as I watched the folks in "Whole" whine about how they are trapped in their perfectly functional bodies. I also wonder if these same folks take parking spaces, disability payments and take up other resources they have no right to have. I also was a bit irked by a psychiatrist who said that 'this does not make them crazy'. Well, yes, it DOES. At the very least, they have some sort of Identity Disorder or Personality Disorder (such as Histrionic--with a sick need to be noticed no matter the cost).
So is it worth seeing? Well, it is oddly fascinating but also a little of this goes a long way. Fortunately, it is short. But, if you have a REAL disability or have family or friends struggling with one, it's probably a film to skip. Strange but skippable.
