Still Alice (2014)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland

Cast: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart

Running time: 101 minutes

Based on the 2007 Lisa Genova novel of the same name, this 2014 independent drama tells the story of Alice Howland, a 50 year old linguistic professor at Columbia. Her husband and she both have successful careers, and their three kids are venturing on their own in life. After showing signs of memory loss and speech issues, Alice sees a neurologist, who diagnoses her with early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease. This brilliant woman will slowly fade away as her family does its best to support.

Julianne Moore is absolutely brilliant as Alice Howland and she carries this film to greatness on her back. She makes it feel so real that you forget it is an actress at work and you start feeling the plight of that ailing woman and her family. There are many very talented actors on the cast of this film, but Moore blows them all out of the water.

Still Alice is a very poignant drama that doesn’t go overboard into tear-jerking mode. The tone is just right. I also dug the way the movie was shot and cut. They never dwell on any scene, moving forward at a good pace. That is a fitting choice by the moviemakers, since, with Alzheimer’s Disease, Alice Howland’s life is fading fast around her and the story is told through her eyes. Great moviemaking and solid acting makes this one a must-see.

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