Still Alice(2014)

Cast : Juliann Moore, Kristen Stewart, Alec baldwin, Kate Bosworth

Plot and Storyline:

Still alice is an America Drama written and directed by Richard Glatzer and Walter Westmoreland. Its is based on the novel by the same name by Lisa Genova. The film is about Dr Alice Howland (Played by Julie Annmoore), a linguistic professor from Columbia university. The film starts with her 50th Birthday where all the family members have dinner together and then the story begins to unravel, Alice starts to forget words in a conference and during her jog she suddenly forgets her way home. On diagnosis she finds out that she is diagnosed with an early onset Alzeihmer's diesease, and furthur more its is genetic. The rest of the film is about how the disease affects her.

Alzeihmer's disease is not fatal, the diseased start loosing their memory slowly and slowly, it seems not such a terrible thing but after watching the entire film you might not feel the same way about it. Alice herself says in the movie" i wish i had cancer!".Its is a very clear portrayal of the disease, how one looses slowly all their memories and Juliann Moore shows real convictions in her portrayal as Dr Alice Howland. Its the constant look of being lost that we see in Alice's face and the desperation she shows when she  forgets the most simplest of things which proves to be too good in the film. In the later part of the film when Alice just blacks out in the middle, it just reminded me of memento, Though both are quite different contexts, Its is really terrifying state to loose your memories.

The director sets up a suicide note for Alice, its like when she is not able to remember the most basic of things she plans to die, Much to what we would expect the story becomes more realistic and she does forget that that there was a suicide plan in the first place. In the end of the film she becomes more calm there is no anxiety or desperation, there is just a plain look in her face. Its like she has accepted her disease and starts to live with it. Alec baldwin plays John Howland, Alice's husband, A typical American middle Class husband who does not have time for his sick wife and prefers to work. It is only Lydia( Kristen Steward), Alice's youngest daughter who takes care of Alice in the end.

Verdict:

Juliann Moore wins an oscar for the Best Actress in the film, It is a really one of her best performances till date. Though i would say that the film would be much better without much of the family background. Mainly the Husband and the elder daughter took away the seriousness of the film a bit. But Climax was summed up very well when Alice looses even her ability to speak.