Many may not want to deal with this less-than-uplifting topic, but Still Alice presents a reality of modern-day life. And it does so with tremendous sensitivity. Choosing to use a relatively young (50-year-old), vibrant woman to show the heartbreaking progression of dementia makes us pay more attention. We don’t have the pat self-reassurance of thinking to ourselves: Well, she’s really old. The film shows a Columbia University phonetics professor just at the cusp of realizing something is not quite right. A professional wordsmith, she finds herself occasionally unable to complete a thought verbally. When she looks around and has no idea where she is at the end of a routine jog, she assumes she has a brain tumor. The truth is just as insidious: early-onset Alzheimer’s. The rest of the movie focuses on her attempts to retard the decline, remain a relevant member of her family, and make peace with the diagnosis. Julianne Moore’s performance is remarkable, as we read the inner turmoil at every turn on her face. And Kristen Stewart, who I will forever think of as the vampire girl, also did a nice job.
Should You See It? A resounding, yes! This, more than any clinical description or pop magazine article, shows us what goes on in the hearts and minds of people—at any age—when they realize they are losing their humanity. —D.W.
Viewed at Landmark Theatres Plaza Frontenac