Review of Still Alice (2014) by Patrick L — 19 Aug 2015

"Julianne Moore is outstanding as a linguistics professor who gets diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer's disease".

Movie Review: Still Alice.

Date Viewed: February 21 2015.

Directed By Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland (The Last of Robin Hood).

Screenplay By Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, Based on the novel by Lisa Genova.

Starring: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth, Shane McRae, Hunter Parrish, Stephen Kunken, Victoria Cartagena, Seth Gilliam, Erin Darke and Daniel Gerroll.

Alzheimer's is a frightening disease to have.

Once your diagnosed with the disease, you won't remember your loved ones, what supermarket to go to or even what pills to take everyday. "Still Alice" (which is based on the 2007 novel by Lisa Genova) is a must-see for those who have family members who are diagnosed with the disease and for Julianne Moore's outstanding performance. "Still Alice" could finally bring her first Oscar tomorrow night.

Moore plays Dr. Alice Howland, a Columbia University linguistics professor who learns that she has Early-Onset Alzheimer's disease. She's also the mother of three children (Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish) and wife to John Howland (Alec Baldwin). Soon, she starts to forget words during class and her three kids Lydia, Anna and Tom test themselves to see if they are vulnerable to the disease. Anna tested positive for the disease, Tom's results came back negative while Lydia decided not to get tested.

Wishing that she had cancer instead, the disease begins to take a toll on Alice, she has difficulty in answering her questions or spelling them correctly and she fails to recognize Lydia in a play she's starring in.

For my grandma who is still dealing with Alzheimer's today, "Still Alice" is an emotionally, gripping drama with a powerful performance by Julianne Moore. Alec Baldwin delivers fine work as Alice's husband and Kristen Stewart (finally free from the sparkly vampire and the shirtless werewolf) is also really good as Alice's honest daughter.

Thanks to the writing and directing team of Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (The Last of Robin Hood), "Still Alice" is a brave film that tackles it's tough subject matter with great results.