Review: “Still Alice”

Julianne Moore shines in drama.

There is a level of tenderness and compassion that is brought to the portrayal of Alice, played by Julianne Moore, in Still Alice, just arriving to local theaters. It would’ve been easy to document the struggle of a character with early onset Alzheimer’s by way of fits of anger, tearful lines of emotional exposition and so forth. It would’ve been easy to have family and friends constantly struggle with caring for her, wearing their grief like a thick coat. It would’ve and could’ve been so easy.

But, much like Alice’s illness, things aren’t that easy. And that’s for the better.

Julianne Moore earned herself a nomination in the Best Actress field this year for her performance, and deservedly so. Much in the same vein as Stephen Hawking’s illness progression in The Theory of Everything, Moore pulls off some rather subtle moments of memory loss with brutal ease. Problems for her character begin playful enough — mostly excused as exhaustion and such. The camera doesn’t linger on these subtle moments, so you have to be keen to pick up on them, in the beginning anyways; eventually, they’ll become standard.

There is heavy sadness with how fast Moore’s Alice regresses, as her family and friends try to help her in any way they can, even if just by reminding her of simple things. There is also tender compassion within, almost a grace, that Moore brings out of having her mind in peril. A sad beauty? It could be the Alzheimer’s induced slip from peak adulthood to childlike innocence to near atrophy — specifically the calm and slow manner with which Moore expresses these changes — that has a glimmer you can’t turn away from. The idea that her past self is still in there somewhere, that she is Still Alice, is very much present.

This is a movie that is all about the main performance. The direction, the writing, the supporting actors — all service this lead. It makes sense, but is also a bit disappointing. While I don’t want to use the word “wasted” to describe these other elements, it does come to mind. By relying on one key piece, the lesser foundation of the film — one that feels like a Lifetime Original Movie — rears its ugly head once in a while. Try not to shake your head at the ending (which, ironically, is still done well by Moore).

Still Alice features a high caliber performance and enough drama to satisfy any date requirements. Occasionally schmaltzy, but never tear jerking, it’s wonderful that it has earned a potential award for its leading lady. Something that is never easy.

3.5 / 5 *s