Still Alice

There is a moment in Still Alice where directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland plant the camera over Alice’s (Julianne Moore) shoulder as she sits in a chair. In the background are blurred images of her husband and children in conversation at the dinner table. They talk frankly about Alice as if she is not even in the room. In some ways she is not. Her distressed eyes are focused, as if searching for something that is just out of reach, but clearly her mind is some place else. She has become a shell of the woman they have known and loved for years; replaced by a stranger whose void face now bears a harsh reminder of the cruel and inexplicable nature of life.

It is a scene that is all too familiar, uncomfortably so in fact, to those who have had Alzheimer’s stricken a family member. It is a simple, but powerful, moment that Moore plays perfectly. As she does with most of the film, Moore brings a subtle sadness to the scene. Though her family is discussing how Alice’s condition is impacting their lives, it is Alice herself who we feel most connected to. Alice brings a human face to the illness; showing what it is like for those suffering with the disease to watch their world quickly erode around them.

Based on Lisa Genova’s novel of the same name, Still Alice is a somber reminder that life can change on the dime for all of us. Dr. Alice Howland is a renowned linguistics professor at Columbia University who lives a rather comfortable life with her husband (Alec Baldwin). Amongst her many academic achievements, Alice takes great pride in the fact that her three grown children (Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish) are rather well-adjusted. Alice’s serene life is abruptly rattled when she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.

Arriving 15 years earlier than it does for most sufferers of the disease, Alice struggles to maintain a normal life. As the illness has a tendency to be accelerated in individuals who are of higher functioning intelligence, Alice and her family are not prepared for the swift decline of her mental state. Soon Alice begins forgetting simple things such as where the bathroom in her house is located and conversations she had moments earlier. Despite her determination to combat the disease, Alice knows that these are all signs of an uphill battle in which the odds are stacked against her.

Still Alice is one of those films that essentially sinks or swims on the strength of the performances. Julianne Moore is sensational as Alice, bringing a bittersweet honesty to the role. Although the disease impacts Alice’s life faster than expected, Moore ensures that we have time to process every subtle change the character goes through. Every missing word hangs ominously in the air like dense fog, and Alice’s longing glaze, often devoid of recognition, is like an emotional punch to the gut. It is tough not to watch Moore embody the character without reflecting on those in our own lives who have battled with Alzheimer’s and other debilitating illnesses.

The downside is that once you look past Moore’s riveting work, it becomes apparent that Still Alice is not as tightly woven as it should be. While there is a rich honesty to the film, it is hard to shake the feeling that we have seen this all before. Glatzer and Westmoreland clearly understand the hardships that come with illness, but the film lacks that extra dramatic punch to truly make it soar. Instead it hits the familiar beats that one would expect. This is especially evident in how underutilized the supporting cast is. It is understandable that Glatzer and Westmoreland would give Moore plenty of room to develop the nuances of her character, but it is a shame that the likes of Baldwin and Stewart were not given meatier roles to chew on. As a result, Still Alice has several moments where the film is simply spinning its wheels in hopes of gripping onto one of Moore’s heartbreaking moments.

Without Julianne Moore’s restrained and moving performance, Still Alice would not be nearly as effective as it is. Sure the earnestness of it should be commended, but that alone does not make an engaging film. Glatzer and Westmoreland’s familiar rhythm needed a few more dramatic moments to give the film a much needed jolt of energy and pathos. Fortunately, Moore is at the top of her craft and is convincing enough to makes us forget the film’s shortcomings. She reminds us that, at the end of the day, it is the people who are afflicted with Alzheimer’s whose plight we should be trying our best to understand.

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Published by Courtney Small

The founder of Cinema Axis, Courtney is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic who can frequently be heard discussing film as co-host of Frameline on Radio Regent. Courtney has contributed to several publications including Leonard Maltin, In the Seats, That Shelf, Black Girl Nerds, and Comix Asylum. He also celebrates diversity in cinema as co-host of the Changing Reels podcast and is a member of the Online Film Critics Society.
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6 Comments

Nice review. Perhaps, finally, a statue for Ms. Moore? I remember the film
‘Away from Her’ starring Julie Christie who battles with Alzheimer and gave a fine performance, as well. The whole film was solid, albeit depressing. How do you compare the two films?

It is stunning that Moore has not won an Oscar yet, especially considering her outstanding body of work. Only time will tell if this is the role that finally does it for her. In regards to how the film stacks up against ‘Away from Her’, Sarah Polley’s film tackled the subject matter in a more interesting and engaging way.

Moore is great in this and it’s a true testament to the kind of actress she is that she doesn’t make Alice out to be some kind of angel. She’s just a normal, everyday woman who, sadly, has this life-altering disease and knows that it’s going to ruin her life, slowly, but surely. Good review.

In a role such as the one Moore plays in the film it is easy to forget the importance of subtly on screen. She tackles each moment with grace. Other actresses would have tried to play several of those scenes far bigger than they needed to be.

Excellent review, I’ll definitely get around to checking out Still Alice and Moore’ stand out performance, she’s consistently great in everything I’ve seen her in. I used to volunteer at an old age home and it’s really quite disheartening seeing first hand how fast and dramatic Alzheimer’s can progress.