Still Alice

(*** out of five)

     This film was a victim of the Sony hacks, but keeping it in independent cinemas has actually kept its audience numbers high.  I think a benefit from the hack was having all of the critics, who supposedly didn't see the film before its release, talking about the performance that Julianne Moore gives.  Yes, she is my pick for Best Actress, and I think she will win.  If you want to know how emotionally stressful this movie is, I'd say to just watch the preview.  Still Alice is about a woman, fifty years of age, who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease.
     Julianne Moore plays the role of Alice.  A renowned professor at Columbia University, she teaches on the subject of linguistics and how humans communicate.  At first, the signs of her disease seem small and normal; there are times when we forget a word we are looking for.  The movie progresses and she gets worse.  With her family by her side to support her, she begins to explore the possibilities of what is happening to her.  Alice meets doctors and has several scans before an early diagnosis is made.  Her husband, played by Alec Baldwin, seeks to keep her daily life as normal as possible.  The family knows they will need to continue with her through the struggle.
     Alice finds a connection with her youngest daughter, Lydia, played by Kristen Stewart.  Alice and Lydia are the ones of the family who are constantly arguing, but are also the ones that struggle the most.  In their struggles, they find a deeper connection and understanding of each other.  Lydia wants to establish a good relationship with her mother before she mentally leaves.
     This movie was a tear-jerker.  As soon as things start to get better, something happens and it gets worse.  Alice does make a valid point about her disease: that she is not suffering, but is struggling.  She practices memorizing words, uses her phone to send her reminders, and even records a few things on her computer to help her when she can't remember anything.  She attempts to remain a professor as long as she can, and tries her best to not disappoint her family.
     While I hoped for Alice, the story remains depressing.  There is a scene further in the film that deeply saddened me, as it is the moment the audience and Alice realize that she can no longer be on her own.  Many of us can say that we have known someone with Alzheimer's, so it makes it all the harder to watch.  I was glad I saw it, but the story doesn't answer the major questions that I had.  I do recommend this film, but it is not one that requires a visit to the theater.  Also, you need to be in the mood for a downer.  I'm happy with Julianne Moore's performance, and believe it or not, Kristen Stewart did not annoy me.  She does seem like more of an adult in this film, and I hope to see future roles like this from her.