Film No. 9 (2015) February 10th. 3:20 PM THE WINDSOR Nedlands.
Quote: "I'd rather have cancer"
I'd be tempted to bet my house on the fact Julianne Moore will win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Female Role in a couple of weeks. Her performance in Still Alice is worth the price of a ticket. The film has holes and spends much time tugging at ones heart strings, with Alice's family the means by which we are moved with great regularity. But Moore is excellent and a good cry at the movies can be a cleansing thing.
Still Alice is a work of fiction even though the experience of Dr Alice Howland (Moore) plays as a biographical tale familiar to Alzheimer sufferers and their loved ones the world over. The touching film is a reminder that life deals us random cards, and some people can be dealt the cruelest of hands. The material is strong but it is Moore's performance that deserves the accolades.
There is a scene early in the film where the camera, in head shot, stays on Alice as she answers questions put to her by her physician. Alice is concerned about some recent mental lapses and responds anxiously to specific questions about her patterns of behaviour. The shot captures an actor in charge of her craft and we become riveted to her interpretation of trying to appear relaxed while anxious.
Because Moore towers so tall over the performances of her co stars, one wonders whether the writing is at fault or the likes of Alec Baldwin (Tom Howland) and Kate Bosworth (Anna Howland) couldn't match Moore's standards - it's likely to be something of both. The best scenes however are those shared between Alice and daughter Lydia (Kristen Stewart). There is a wonderful trust which develops between them as Alice gradually diminishes, leading to a very touching final scene. I say it again; Moore deserves and will win an Oscar in 2015. 9GUMS.
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