Still Alice

Still Alice

Starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth

Directed by Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland

Synopsis:
Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) is a linguistics professor at Columbia University.  She celebrates her 50th birthday with her husband John (Alec Baldwin), her son Tom (Hunter Parrish) and daughter Anna (Kate Bosworth).  Her youngest doughter, Lydia (Kristen Stewart) is living on the other side of the country.

During a lecture, Alice forgets a word.  Then as she's jogging around campus, she forgets where she is.  She starts seeing a neurologist, who diagnoses her with early onset familial Alzheimer's Disease.  As she struggles to maintain her memories, Alice's condition slowly deteriorates, and her family is forced to make difficult decisions, as Alice does as well.

Review:
Directors Richard Glatzer (in his final director role before his untimely passing from ALS) and Wash Westmoreland deliver a stunningly impactful film with "Still Alice," based on a novel by Lisa Genova.  They bring to life the issues of suffering from Alzheimer's Disease in a way that's not sappy and heavy-handed, but instead deal with this disease delicately, poetically and in a way that tugs at the heartstrings but not in an emotionally abusive way.

At the heart of the film is Julianne Moore, who absolutely captivates the screen and keeps you riveted on her performance.  Seeing her as a vibrant, intellectual Alice at the beginning of the film, and witnessing her slow deterioration, was something to behold, and she gave one of the best performances not just this year, but in the last decade.  She's up there with Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman as one of the best actresses out there, and she gave a commanding performance here.  She even won the Quintuple Crown of Best Actress (winning the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Critics' Choice, BAFTA and Oscar) for her performance.

There were several scenes in the film that moved me to tears, one where she forgets where the bathroom is, her video message to herself, the final gut-wrenching scene and this scene where she's speaking at an Alzheimer's Group:

That scene alone brought tears to my eyes, due to Moore's performance and more importantly because she's portraying someone that millions of people around the world can relate to.  This isn't a made-up disease for a Hollywood film, this is a debilitating disease that robs people of their most prized possessions - their memories.  If anything, I hope "Still Alice" stirs conversation about this disease and hopefully find a cure for it in the near future.   

Summary:
Profound, prolific and utterly simplistic, "Still Alice" showcases Julianne Moore's impeccable acting chops as she portrays a woman suffering from a life-altering disease, and does so with grace and heart-wrenching realism.

My Rating: A+