Julie Christie is considered by insiders to be a front-runner for an Oscar for her portrayal here of a woman living with Alzheimer's Disease. The hype is justified. She breaks your heart by being so subtle that you don't feel like you're watching "acting." What surprises me, though, is that Gordon Pinsent isn't garnering the same buzz. For me, the film centered on his character, and his quietly tortured performance allows us to experience what it feels like to lose someone even as they are right there in front of you.
This movie was difficult to watch. It's quiet, bright, and shifts from one scene to another very softly. And if you know someone who's dealing with this disease or even a family member in a nursing home, this will be even harder to watch. But first-time director Sarah Polley assists her actors as they do amazing things here.
This wasn't a movie that felt like a "movie." It was a movie that felt like a fully-developed novel.
3.5 out of 4
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