Genres

Visitors Review

brocksilvey 2012-05-25 06:52:16

Another Powerhouse Performance from Ashley Judd

A painful movie about a woman struggling with severe clinicaldepression.Ashley Judd has a knack for giving powerhouse performances in movies noone's ever heard of (did you ever see her in "Bug?"), and shedisappears utterly into the character of "Helen," who herself descendsinto hell when her illness makes an appearance after lying dormant formany years. Let me be clear -- this movie is one long sustained note ofagony, and it is not pleasant to sit through. But it's fascinating inits own way, and the thought of it haunted me for days after I'd seenit.The filmmaker clearly had a very personal and painful relationship withher subject (she lost her childhood friend to clinical depression), andone might think this would make her incapable of retaining theobjectivity needed to prevent a film like this from turning intomelodrama, but one would be wrong for thinking that.Grade: A-

rooprect 2012-05-20 11:25:49

Welcome to the mind of a depressed person

At first I didn't like this movie a whole lot. As other reviewers havealready pointed out, it's merciless in its stereotypical portrayal ofpeople: every character in the movie is a royal jerk except for the 2depressed people, and it gives the impression that all doctors arecold-hearted sadists, all spouses are selfish psychos, and people ingeneral are totally apathetic.But hold on...Then it suddenly dawned on me, duh, that's exactly how one views theworld when one is in the throes of depression. I believe it wasn't thefilmmakers' intent to make an objective film. I think they were out toshow us a somewhat skewed perspective through the eyes of a depressedperson. At that, it's very successful.So yes, this is a depressing movie. It's dark. It's irritating. Itmakes you feel like the world is a sucky place. But if, for somebizarre reason, you want to know what it's like to be depressed, thenthis is the movie for you.I can't say that I "enjoyed" it (I'm no masochist!) but I can say thatit's very well made, with excellent acting, effective cinematography(good use of focus & blurring), and a fitting musical score. Just as"Peewee's Big Adventure" takes us into the mind of a manically happyperson with its cartoon colours and bouncy pace, "Helen" shows us theopposite side of the coin with its darkness, bleached visuals andmonotonous presentation. If you want to know what it's like to bebipolar, I suppose you could watch the 2 movies back to back.Movies like this: "House of Sand and Fog" (or as I like to call it,"House of Sand and Why Don't We Just Slit Our Wrists and Save Ourselvesthe DVD Rental Fee") and "Leaving Las Vegas". All of these areexcellent films. But wow, hide the sharp metal objects before viewing.

tabuno 2012-05-15 14:26:35

A Deeper Look At Mental Ilness in the Family

From a purely clinical standpoint, a purist would likely find thatthere are number of stylized caricatures, stereotypical performances,and clichés even in this fictionalized family drama even thoughwriter/director Sandra Nettleback undertook her own research into theterrible affliction of what she calls "suicidal depression," in whatamounted to a ten year project. Inspired by an article written by a manwith severe depression and the suicide of a personal friend of her'smore than a decade ago, this movie still contains numerous overtures tothe more mainstream viewpoint of mental illness. However, this somewhatlong movie continues to build and reveal a depth toward mental illnessand its complications leading toward a somewhat more traditionalending. There are some parallels to "Girl Interrupted" (1999),particularly with the relationship developed between the two women inthat movie and this movie. The sound track in this movie is superb andreally adds a special intimacy and richness to this movie along withnice musical tracks. It is surprisingly Lauren Lee Smith as Mathildathat provides the most intriguing and authentic performance, thoughAshley Judd's performance as well as Gorin Visnjic's performance mayhave suffered a bit more from a script developed by an outsider's viewof mental illness rather than their acting ability themselves. Thismovie taken by a non-professional however, does offer up some of thedramatic aspects of mental illness and refers to a treatment that hasbeen rarely mentioned anymore in mainstream movies on the topic.Overall, this movie deserves wider distribution to the general publicas it provides a layperson's look into an important medical issue aswell as maintaining a compelling dramatic appeal sufficient to offerthe general audience the satisfaction of having experienced ameaningful and worthwhile movie. - Screened at the Sundance FilmFestival- Eight out of Ten Stars.

jimjonesjr-1 2012-05-13 01:19:28

Too long, too dark

This movie is way too long for the events it depicts, and way too darkboth in content and in the film. I understand the under lighted scenesare supposed to reflect the darkness of depression, but it's asannoying to watch two hours of no one bothering to turn on a light bulbas it is to watch the scenes being drawn out for time needlessly.I also found it was a completely predictable story.That being said the score was really good, as was the acting fromeveryone in this movie. If a half hour more was moved to the cuttingroom floor it wouldn't be missed and the movie would be better for it,but it would still be a movie few people will want to sit through, adark drama on clinical depression.

SaMoFilmGuy 2012-05-02 05:40:08

Underdeveloped, sketchy drama

An underdeveloped story in a genre that needs careful crafting to makesure the tale is one of a character afflicted with a disease and notjust a treatise on the disease itself. Unfortunately, in this overlong,skimpy story we get no real idea of who Ashley Judd's character is. Howdoes she live when she's holed up in a (Hollywood-style "gritty")warehouse? Where does she get her money from? It's terribly convenientthat she has a student with the same disease who, when it's convenientfor her to leave, jumps off a rooftop so that Judd can return to herhusband. Too many scenes of Judd crying in a fetal position, or justacting dumb (pouring milk on the floor) doesn't make for a goodexamination of the way a character we really know and understand canfall prey to this malady. Slow, boring and too reliant on electroshockas the answer with no examination of other aspects of the character'sbackground. Also totally unbelievable for anybody familiar with thisdisease is the idea that her new husband and daughter would have noindication that Judd's character had been depressed before with husbandnumber 1. Moreover she'd have definitely suffered from some indicativeepisode of depression before succumbing full bore to another attack.Again, the movie is too schematic a dramatic presentation.

2012-05-01 16:52:03

Excellent depiction of what it's like to suffer from clinical depression

This movie really hits home with what people that suffer from clinical depression go through, and how they shut out those that love them most, through no fault of their own, and how family members are helpless to help them. The struggle to overcome inner demons and depression is a road that is not understood by those who do not know how debilitating this illness can be. Ashley Judd gives an outstanding performance as the professor, and Goran Visnjic is so incredibly believable as her husband, who tries to reach her and help her out of her abyss. Lauren Lee Smith plays Mathilda, Helen's student who loses her mother to the same condition, and suffers from the same depression portrays her character as the lone person that is able to understand Helen, through support and presence - Excellent.

Hesse-02 2012-04-27 23:33:35

Truthful and well acted film- recommended. SPOILERS

Having worked in the mental health field for many years I can tell youthis film does an outstanding job both in script, directing and actingwith portraying a woman with major depression and suicidality. Theperformances by Ashley Judd, Goran Visnjic and Lauren Lee Smith (alsoAlexia Fast) were at least Oscar noteworthy. Why has this film notgotten more attention? And I am surprised by the rather mediocre voteaverage on this website. Most likely because it is portrayingDEPRESSION and BIPOLAR DISORDER in all their worst forms and that isn'teasy to watch. It isn't easy to live with nor is it easy to watch thedeterioration of people you love. Ashley Judd does an outstanding job playing Helen, a twice marriedwoman and mother of a teenager daughter who suffers a relapse of herMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD). Goran plays her lawyer husband who hasno knowledge of her previous psychiatric experiences and must watch hiswife sink into the abyss. What I didn't understand were the reactions of Helen's students at thecollege. They wouldn't have known what was affecting her, it could becancer so would they have walked out? I think someone would haveinquired on her medical condition. Also you cannot terminate someonewith a medical problem or can you?Mental Illness is a subject we don't discuss but with the prognosisthat in 10 years it will be the number one common health problem in theworld and is the leading cause of disability with Bipolar Disorder arenumber 6th as leading cause of disability and then you have ADHD,Autism and the Pervasisve Developmental Disorders which affect 1 in 110children, then you see the responsibility and need for film makers tomake these films. *********SPOILER************** Also portrayed in this film is AshleyJudd's character Helen getting treatment called Electo Convulsive ShockTherapy which is a very real treatment and performed in local hospitalsall over the world. What the movie doesn't show and is the really uglyside of Major Depression are those young men and women who chronicallytry to commit suicide in various ways. I had a patient whose wristswere so heavily scarred from slicing it made me wince to look at themand she could take a light bulb or a jar of cosmetics and break it in asecond to slash.

rps-2 2012-04-26 16:31:14

Depressing movie about depression

As a survivor of severe clinical depression --- yes, it can be a killer--- I had a special interest in this film. I could relate to much ofit. Yet I'm not sure I would recommend it to someone in the middle ofdepression. It is very much a "downer." Indeed my wife's comment was "Idon't want to look at it. I've been through it." Having said that it isan extremely well executed film in all regards. Someone without anyhistory of depression might not understand it or might think itexaggerates. To someone like myself, it was all too realistic. Tosomeone in the middle of depression, it could push them over the edge.Clinical depression is right behind heart disease and cancer as akiller except that its victims die of suicide. Certainly anything thatfocuses attention on it such as this movie is good. In addition to itshorror, depression too often is a "closet" disease in which the victimfeels hopelessly lonely as was evident here as Helen triesunsuccessfully to fake normalcy. (Been there...done that...) I believethis film can be useful to the family of anyone suffering depressionbecause it illustrates the despair of the victim and the immense stresson family and professional life. But it could be dangerous for theactual victim. But thank you for tackling a subject that too often istaboo.

gradyharp 2012-04-24 10:38:31

As Dark and as Static as the Illness it Depicts

Sandra Nettlebeck both wrote and directed this somber, intense studyabout clinical depression. The film is long, is a one-note song, and isin need of editing and lightening - or is it? What Nettleback hascreated is an atmosphere that very likely simulates the way the worldis viewed and coped with by those who are suffering from suicidaldepression. It is a lesson as much as it is a film. Helen (Ashley Judd) is a popular professor of music theory, andaccomplished pianist, and the wife of handsome and successful lawyerDavid (Goran Visnjic), and mother of a charming teenager Julie (AlexiaFast) all of whom we meet at a surprise birthday party for Helen. Butvery gradually Helen begins to change from the ebullient happy woman toa more quiet, pensive, obviously injured woman. Concentration fails,she cannot get enough sleep, her connection to the world begins tocrumble and finally she breaks into the depths of depression. Despitethe support of David and Julie and denying the medical assistance ofpsychiatrist Dr. Sherman (Alberta Watson), Helen continues to sinkdeeper into the profound sadness of clinical depression. One of Helen'sstudents, Mathilda (Lauren Lee Smith) seems to be one of the few peoplewith whom Helen can relate: we are lead to discover Mathilda suffersfrom a similar disorder. The truth about Helen's medical historyfinally surfaces: she has had suicidal ideation and clinical depressionin her past When married before to Frank (David Hewlett) and soon afterthe birth of Julie (?postpartum depression?) Helen required psychiatrichospitalization, her marriage failed, and she ultimately met David whohas been the ideal husband and father for Julie. Helen escapes herhome, is hospitalized and undergoes shock therapy after a suicideattempt - her only apparent understanding contact is the nebulouslydrawn Mathilda. How Helen emerges from her illness and reorganizes herlife is the ending of the film. The film benefits greatly from the moody musical score by Tim Despicwith the aid of James Edward Barker ( and Schumann and Schubert...) andthe mood is kept appropriately dark by the cinematography by MichaelBertl. The quartet of actors - Judd, Visnjic, Smith, and Fast) - areoutstanding as is the well selected group of actors for supportingroles. But for this study of the depths of depression - mostly darkscenes of Helen lying in bed or weeping - is, at two hours, a bit morethan an audience can handle. In order to appreciate the quality of thisfilm the viewer must accept the fact that the main point of the film isa study of the crippling illness of depression. And that it doesextremely well. Grady Harp

megalemeter 2012-04-23 14:27:27

text book

There are no heroes, no victims, no rescue teams, no spectacularrecovery...and that's the beauty of this movie. Some might say that thefilm is too long or too dark with no switches or no sharp turns ofevents. This is one of those movies where you can learn from a lot. Themost important knowledge coming from it is deconstructing a mith that'love will concur all'. The other thing is all 'what not to do's'coming from distanced once who should be listened to the most. I have astrong believe that if you watch this movie carefully you will be wellprepared if someone you love had to deal with such problem. Ashley Juddgave wonderful performance. Light, camera, action should be credited asthe rest of the cast.

2012-04-23 02:57:21

As Dark and as Static as the Illness it Depicts

Sandra Nettlebeck both wrote and directed this somber, intense study about clinical depression. The film is long, is a one-note song, and is in need of editing and lightening - or is it? What Nettleback has created is an atmosphere that very likely simulates the way the world is viewed and coped with by those who are suffering from suicidal depression. It is a lesson as much as it is a film.Helen (Ashley Judd) is a popular professor of music theory, and accomplished pianist, and the wife of handsome and successful lawyer David (Goran Visnjic), and mother of a charming teenager Julie (Alexia Fast) all of whom we meet at a surprise birthday party for Helen. But very gradually Helen begins to change from the ebullient happy woman to a more quiet, pensive, obviously injured woman. Concentration fails, she cannot get enough sleep, her connection to the world begins to crumble and finally she breaks into the depths of depression. Despite the support of David and Julie and denying the medical assistance of psychiatrist Dr. Sherman (Alberta Watson), Helen continues to sink deeper into the profound sadness of clinical depression. One of Helen's students, Mathilda (Lauren Lee Smith) seems to be one of the few people with whom Helen can relate: we are lead to discover Mathilda suffers from a similar disorder. The truth about Helen's medical history finally surfaces: she has had suicidal ideation and clinical depression in her past When married before to Frank (David Hewlett) and soon after the birth of Julie (?postpartum depression?) Helen required psychiatric hospitalization, her marriage failed, and she ultimately met David who has been the ideal husband and father for Julie. Helen escapes her home, is hospitalized and undergoes shock therapy after a suicide attempt - her only apparent understanding contact is the nebulously drawn Mathilda. How Helen emerges from her illness and reorganizes her life is the ending of the film.The film benefits greatly from the moody musical score by Tim Despic with the aid of James Edward Barker ( and Schumann and Schubert...) and the mood is kept appropriately dark by the cinematography by Michael Bertl. The quartet of actors - Judd, Visnjic, Smith, and Fast) - are outstanding as is the well selected group of actors for supporting roles. But for this study of the depths of depression - mostly dark scenes of Helen lying in bed or weeping - is, at two hours, a bit more than an audience can handle. In order to appreciate the quality of this film the viewer must accept the fact that the main point of the film is a study of the crippling illness of depression. And that it does extremely well. Grady Harp, August 10

2012-04-20 10:13:42

brilliant

This review is from: Helen (DVD) Having lived close to the problem of bipolar depression for many years, I can say that this film captures the nuances perfectly. Bravo to the players and to the filmmaker.

2012-04-20 06:59:16

Dissapointed on so many levels. Run from this film.

This review is from: Helen (DVD) Very contrived. Felt like things were made up at the moment for shock effect. I wanted to at least like this film. Had good acting going for it but the directing and direction the film went was not made of real earth..it was made up on the spot. Not based on reality where most people who sadly step off the ladder into an oblivion of mental illness are not left to these means to flounder around for a way back...clinging to another mental ill person no way...a husband who becomes jealous and smacks the mentally ill friend just isn't going to happen. I felt I was watching one of those horrible 60-70's artsy over crafted piece of junk.....you know the type...Three in the Attic type garbage. I kept waiting for this film to get better...never did. The final straw of yet another miss direct was at the final scene....kid who looks to have never aged past her 13 year introduction is running on the beach with a full grown dog calling Macho....Macho...the name the antagonist who died had named her very young puppy...and so the question comes to mind...what happened to the other adult full grown dog the family had at the beginning. The way they suggested this mental ill friend died wasn't right either. SOOOO WRONG. The surprised performance however was the character who played the father/husband role. I'd always placed him as no more than a grade B soap opera star...of ER fame. (True George Clooney came from ER....but he had a whole heap of grade D horror films under his aging belt too. When dear George left ER so did I. We never could believe it lasted as long as it did...really went downhill after the first two seasons. Anyway this film is dark and dingy and there is no redeeming qualities worth recommending it. The film does not offer any insight into mental illness from the patients view or the family and friends....and will depress everyone. Stay away from this...I'm debating not even selling my now used copy to prevent someone else falling prey to it's misery. A real downer. And it does not depict the real life despite the systematic loosening of states and mental hospitals once used in our country....leaving many of the people to fend for themselves...it's true..most of thoseend up on drugs. Many are abandoned by their relatives or worn down and out. But that wasn't what this film seemed to carry....did hint at that aspect but not the real deal on any level. Don't walk away from it...run from it.

2012-04-18 13:50:59

Unsure of content

I removed the dvd helen from my wishlist because there wasn't enough info on it as it didn't have a rating and that is very important to me to know the rating before I buy.

2012-04-17 23:29:51

Must see movie

This review is from: Helen (DVD) This is a great movie about a subject few want to know about and to which there is huge stigma. Very realistic about what it is like to have depression.

wizard1704-297-747433 2012-04-17 01:48:20

Beautiful and painful at the same time

I saw this film yesterday evening on TV and I must say it is verybeautiful and painful at the same time. You must be in the mood forthis kind of film. Acting is excellent by all of the actors, but Ashleyis simply brilliant – she could easily be nominated for Oscar. It isnot an everyday story and topic is very hard and demanding, butdirecting and the tempo of the film is perfect, so you can easilyfollow the story and feel the pain of all the participants in thestory. Goran Visnjic and Lauren Lee Smith both gave one of there bestperformances by my standards. I recommend this film to all the realmovie fans who can appreciate the story and acting without a bunch ofspecial effects.

2012-04-16 04:37:36

Good Effort

This is a good attempt to show the effects that depression can have on a person and her family. While perhaps not always like this, each person's illness is different in its manifestations. This society is sorely lacking in understanding that folks who suffer from depression are not able to just push themselves through it. It doesn't work that way. Although the acting was average, it was a lot better than many films I've seen lately.

dudespell 2012-04-16 12:16:34

Great Actress, Awful Story

Ashley Judd's performance is so good, natural and real that make thisawful movie almost a masterpiece by herself.On the other hand, the story is awful, full of clichés. For example,there are not even a single good man in this movie, in order ofappearance:- A narrow-minded husband.- A rough doctor.- An inpatient student.- A quitter ex-husband.- And even a rapist!Through out the whole story only a woman can understand a woman, andonly women can be kind and supportive.This makes the movie more like a stereotypical, sexist propagandaagainst man, depicting the depressive Helen more as a victim than as asick person who refuses to fight against a mental illness.In a world full of food additives causing depression, electroshock asthe only option of treatment sounds like one more cliché.I really liked the slow paced and dark mood, though.

ph1l1ppe 2012-04-16 02:11:53

'Helen' is a difficult movie...

Ashley Judd is one of my favourite actresses and I've been waiting tosee this movie for so many years now! It turns out that 'Helen' is notan easy film; it is very challenging to watch for many reasons! It is true that the film is unapologetically slow and heavy in thefirst place! But it allows us to really measure how deeply clinicaldepression can affect all the aspects of a person's life! Ashley Judddelivers an incredible performance in that respect... And we, asspectators, are feeling helpless to witness Helen's life falling apartwithout her being able to take care of herself through her painfuljourney! This is why 'Helen' is a difficult movie: It is very demanding tofollow someone who cuts herself from you right from the start, whoreaches the bottom of a nightmare and asks us to stay there with herwithout asking any question! This is what Helen's family have to faceduring the movie and this is what we have to face as well, becauseHelen goes to a place that we cannot understand, where we cannotempathize, that we cannot use as our own catharsis!'Helen' is not a bad movie! But you have to be willing to surrender, tolet go of all your personal demands if you want to appreciate the richand challenging adventure that this movie has to offer! I recommend it!

sharon_sf 2012-04-07 20:50:49

Very Serious Movie

First Of All I Must Say Ashley Judd Is Superb, Playing As A DisturbedWoman. The Other Cast Is Doing A Good Job Either. This Movie Is VeryDark And Grim, And Dvid Darling's Music Really Suits The Atmosphere.The All Movie Really HAs The Look And Sound Of One Of Those EuropeanDark Atmosphere ECM Records, So You Hardly Believe This Is AmericanMovie, It Looks Like It Is One Of Those Heavy Scandinavian Movies,Whith American Actors. There Is A Lot Of Suspense In This Movie AndGllomy Atmospher. The Story Itself Might Not Be Suitable For ManyPeople, Since It Deals With Subject Most People Don't Like to Face OrTo Know About, But For Those Who Would Like To See, It Will definitelyHold Them Until The Last Moment. In Total Very Good Movie For Those WhoWould Want To See It, And Know Ahead About What This Movie Is AllAbout.