Still Alice Movie Review

"And please do no think that I am suffering. I am not suffering. I am struggling. Struggling to be a part of things. To stay connected to who I once was. So live in the moment is what I tell myself. Its really all I can do. Live in the moment. And not beat myself up too much for mastering the art of losing."

-Alice Howland

Still Alice was a film that really struck a chord with me. It was extremely tragic and emotional but still maintained a glimmer of hope. The premise of the film revolves around Alice, played by Julianne Moore, a very intelligent and personable Columbia professor who gets diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. She faces this terrible disease with her loving husband played by Alec Baldwin and their three adult children. The film was directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland and Julianne Moore’s performance won her an Oscar nomination which I feel was very much deserved.

Still Alice does a great job establishing its characters which is a big reason why I became so emotionally attached to them. As Alice faces with horrifying disease I almost feel like I know her and her family personally. Alice greatly prides herself on her intelligence and memories and when the realization that these things will eventually be lost sinks in, it is devastating.  There’s a point in the film where Alice claims she wished she had cancer instead and I thought that was a very powerful moment. It was also very thought provoking as well. If faced with a choice I think I may be inclined to agree with her. This film really shows how slow and painful Alzheimer’s really is. You slowly begin to lose a grasp on your life and who you are. Nothing is more emotionally painful than coming to terms that eventually you won’t recognize your closest relatives. And just as it was in the film, Alice’s family suffered as well every step of the way.

The film slowly progresses with Alice forgetting little things here and there like appointments and words. But the as the disease slowly consumed her the side effects became worse and worse. One aspect that makes this story so sad is how young Alice is. This disease is one that usually claims the elderly, but Alice inherited this disease genetically from her deceased father. This also meant that her children were at a 50/50 chance of carrying this same gene that would guarantee them this disease as well. I can only imagine the pain that comes with telling your children that you gave them a genetic disease that currently has no cure. Still Alice hit me consistently with some really heavy content and this was brought home by the actor’s performances. Now the narrative was a bit simplistic in the sense that nothing really surprised me. I rolled with the punches but I saw them coming. Kristen Stewart played the youngest daughter who was aspiring to be an actress and get her big break in Los Angeles. I’m not a fan of Kristen Stewart and this film didn’t do much to change my opinion of her. Her performance was rather dry as it usually is but I was invested enough in the story for it to not bother me too much.

I won’t claim that this was one of the best films of the year but I will say that I enjoyed it very much and it moved me. Others may not find it as compelling as I did but that’s alright. I’m a fan of Julianne Moore and I’m a sucker for these types of films. It made me feel a wide range of emotions and I felt for these characters very much. Alzheimer’s is a very scary disease that can strip a person of everything that makes them who they are and that’s very frightening if you ask me. Alice was a strong and intelligent person who gave life her all and was ultimately dealt a bad hand. Still Alice was a beautiful story of strength, hope, and love that I think anyone can appreciate and enjoy so I give it an 8 out of 10.