Julianne Moore stars in a new drama “Still Alice” as a middle aged woman diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Our film critic Neil Rosen filed this review.
Julianne Moore plays Alice, an Ivy League linguistics professor in her 50's. Language and the origin of words are her specialty, but one day during a college lecture, she loses her place and temporally forgets the words.
That is just the first of many lapses to come. As she continues to exhibit signs of memory loss, she goes to a doctor and is given the incurable diagnosis.
Her husband - played by Alec Baldwin - and their three grown children all react differently to Alice's disease. Kristen Stewart does a fine job playing her youngest daughter. Her decision to become an actress has been a great disappointment to her mom, but she's the sibling who winds up being the most compassionate. It is a hard movie to watch, as the filmmakers pull no punches, showing us the mental deterioration of this once-brilliant woman.
Baldwin and the supporting cast are all quite good, but it is Moore's mesmerizing performance that pilots the movie. Her haunting portrayal of a woman who is disappearing into herself is both real and heart wrenching. She deservedly received an Oscar nomination this week for her fine work.
The finely nuanced script takes a sensitive look at this disease and its effects, not only on the person afflicted, but also on family members who have to deal with it. There are incisive pieces of dialogue, like how forgetfulness, due to the disease, has been sadly treated comedically with previous generations. Several haunting scenes - including one where still mentally coherent Alice records a video message for disabled Alice to see months later - will stay with you long after the movie is over.
Neil Rosen's Big Apple Rating: Three and a Half Apples