Hello! I'm Nicola, and thanks for taking the time to read my review. A bit about me, well I'm 20 yea...
Hello! I'm Nicola, and thanks for taking the time to read my review. A bit about me, well I'm 20 years old and I live in Kent, I spend far too much time reading and watching movies and writing for this place :)
Member since:23.01.2007
Reviews:51
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Well, this movie definitley wins the award for most depressing movie I've seen all year. I'm not the sort to cry at movies really, but this film had many tearjerking moments that I had to work very hard to resist!
The movie is about Grant and Fiona, a couple who have been married for 44 years and have never been apart. Fiona is beginning to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, but is fully aware of the fact that she has it and makes observations about this fact, showing happiness when she can remember certain events from many years ago. She knows that her condition is only going to get worse however and so tells Grant that she would like to go and live in a home specifically for people suffering from the disease. Grant goes and looks at the place and is happy with it - until he is told that Fiona will have to spend her first month there without contacting the outside world at all. They have never been apart and he hates the idea, worrying that Fiona will be upset and feel that she is stranded. However, she is adamant that she wants to stay at the home and once settled in forces him to leave. When Grant comes back after the month has passed, he finds that Fiona has settled in well. In particular, she has made a very strong friendship with a man called Aubrey. However, though she recognises Grant, she doesn't seem to remember who she is or anything about him. As the movie plays out, we get to see their diminishing relationship as Fiona slowly becomes more and more affected by the disease.
This movie is extremely depressing, and that's partly due to the excellent acting. You really do feel sympathy for Grant as he tries so hard to make Fiona happy only to upset her more and more due to her confusion about things he is telling her. The characters have great chemistry, and you really can see the love that Grant has for Fiona, and his hurt that she doesn't remember anything about him. Julie Christie who plays Fiona is equally excellent in her portrayal, particularly towards the end of the movie, as she shows Fiona in a multitude of emotions and confused and upset by everything that is going on.
This movie is very real, and for the most part straightforward. It's pretty easy to guess what's going to happen throughout the film, but this doesn't take anything away from the movie at all, for it's not one that needs to be complicated. The plot is straightforward - it's a film about a disease, and the effect that this disease has on a person and those that love them. It's extremely depressing to watch, and though I would recommend this film I don't think I will be watching it again for that reason! But if you're a fan of more serious or provoking films, then this is one for you.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
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