Review of Helen (2009) by Melanie K — 21 Aug 2010

"Your wife is not unhappy. She is ill.".

"Helen" is a German-Canadian movie that deals with a very sensitive topic: clinical depression. It shows in a very insightful way how the various stages of depression do not only affect the patient but also his/her family and friends. Ashley Judd and Lauren Lee Smith let their characters go two different ways of how people can deal with their depression (including two very different endings to that way) and the actresses' performances are amazing. "Helen" is a quiet, slow-paced but incredibly intense movie that crawls under your skin and leaves you in a strangely pensive mood after having watched it. It might be difficult to understand everything that is going on - especially the subtle things like the first symptoms of the illness - when you have not had to deal with clinical depression in one way or the other, which is probably why this movie will not find a vast audience. I can, however, only recommend "Helen" as it is very well done. The whole cast is doing a wonderful job and the piano and cello music used in the movie is perfect for the melancholic atmosphere which is also supported by the rather dark or dreary images. But then again...rent/ buy with caution for this is not a happy movie and - without spoiling too much - there is not a totally happy ending either, what makes the movie just even more realistic...