Helen

source: Helen

So I watched Helen today and cried from beginning to end. It is downright the most authentic portrayal of depression that I have ever seen, in a movie that is. Ashley Judd was brilliant in her role as Helen and seemed to bring the story to life as you watch her transform from a fun loving, open and seemingly happy woman into a woman battling many of the most painful moments depression has to offer. I felt like I was watching myself unfold on the screen. Her transformation was breathtaking and yet invoked the most haunting moments of my own struggle. It moved me to tears. And Goran Visnjic, who played Helen's husband was just as brilliant. He portrayed the role of the devoted husband and loving stepfather flawlessly. As I watched his character go through the many trials as a loved one of someone who suffers from such a debilitating illness, I saw my own family and friends and found myself wondering if they also struggled the way David did, though my family and friends weren't as interested in understanding what I was going through as David was with Helens' struggle. At least not from my perspective. To bring you back to the film; there is a scene where David asks Helen to explain to him what's going on with her and she lashes out at him but you can see she wants to tell him... she just doesn't know how to. It's a constant struggle and it can be very tiring to go through the motions day in and day out. I've read many reviews about this film and even though I agree with many of the things that have been said, I feel this is possibly the most honest depiction of depression I have ever seen. It makes you take that journey with her - brings you to the darkest moments of human suffering and explores the feelings of utter despair and hopelessness. If you want to understand depression, this is the film to watch.

This is quite something. Powerful, complete and unrelenting and I loved it. The movie covers all aspects of clinical depression, the sufferer, the partner, family and friends and work colleagues. Leaving no part of the experience untouched or considered, loneliness, loss, longing, desperation, hopelessness and so on. Acting great, music great and the pacing is perfect. I have seen comments saying shorter would have been better but I disagree. The current length provides the time to wallow or sit in the pain being felt rather than skipping over it to make it more palatable. The ending is almost irrelevant, it could have ended in a multitude of ways and really isn't important. Its a tough film but also incredible.

20 January 2009. From a purely clinical standpoint, a purist would likely find that there are number of stylized caricatures, stereotypical performances, and clichés even in this fictionalized family drama even though writer/director Sandra Nettleback undertook her own research into the terrible affliction of what she calls "suicidal depression," in what amounted to a ten year project. Inspired by an article written by a man with severe depression and the suicide of a personal friend of her's more than a decade ago, this movie still contains numerous overtures to the more mainstream viewpoint of mental illness. However, this somewhat long movie continues to build and reveal a depth toward mental illness and its complications leading toward a somewhat more traditional ending. There are some parallels to "Girl Interrupted" (1999), particularly with the relationship developed between the two women in that movie and this movie. The sound track in this movie is superb and really adds a special intimacy and richness to this movie along with nice musical tracks. It is surprisingly Lauren Lee Smith as Mathilda that provides the most intriguing and authentic performance, though Ashley Judd's performance as well as Gorin Visnjic's performance may have suffered a bit more from a script developed by an outsider's view of mental illness rather than their acting ability themselves. This movie taken by a non-professional however, does offer up some of the dramatic aspects of mental illness and refers to a treatment that has been rarely mentioned anymore in mainstream movies on the topic. Overall, this movie deserves wider distribution to the general public as it provides a layperson's look into an important medical issue as well as maintaining a compelling dramatic appeal sufficient to offer the general audience the satisfaction of having experienced a meaningful and worthwhile movie. - Screened at the Sundance Film Festival- Eight out of Ten Stars.

This movie is the best movie I've seen to show all the sides of depression. Most movies focus on the depressed person or the family affected, not both. I have bipolar disorder and this movie can give people a glimpse into what it feels like to experience the horrors of deep depression. Ashley Judd did an amazing job. Also, I was also able to see beyond myself into how it affected my loved ones to see me like that. I knew it was hard on them but in my state was never to see it from their point of view. I am very active in the mental health community. I teach about disorders, lead support groups, and advocate. I've heard many stories on top of my own experiences and been hospitalized several times. Ashley Judd hits this disorder right on. This is a long movie but it is needed to show the story. Nothing too dramatic or exciting happens so if you are not interested in this topic it could be boring. I however, found myself drawn in by the characters. I would put a warning on this movie. If you are in any state of depression it could be very disturbing to you and could send you over the edge. Don't watch it until you are fully stable. Thank you Sandra Nettlebeck for showing the true story of depression in a Hollywood that tries to glamorize it.

Ashley Judd did a great job portraying Helen, as close to reality as one can get without a narrator adding dialogue to the movie about what Helen was feeling inside. Your brain is on over drive, that's why we sleep so much. We are mentally exhausted from all the thinking, hiding, smiling, pretending. Her episodes mimic depression and many other mental illnesses, General Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, Bipolar 1 and 2, Psychosis, etc. You can read the other reviews for the plot of the movie. But I feel, as an adult woman with bipolar disorder for 40 years now, the film maker should be recognized for her effective methods to reflect back to audience the mood of Helen thru the lighting, the length of the film, the family unaware, the doctors being dismissive. Those things are all very real. That is the state of mental health in this country. We don't educate ourselves about it, so we don't learn coping skills. A lot of families deal with this every day. Helen goes to great lengths to hide her depression in it's early stages, adding anxiety on top of anxiety, which is called kindling. Kindling causes the brain to loose cognitive skills and can lead to psychosis, loss of reality. If you walked out of theatre because it was too hard to watch, imagine waking up every day and knowing this is your life, there is no cure. That's why we kill ourselves, it's not selfish, it's to get out of our pain. Yes the clichés are there, so to that I say if you find yourself suddenly in this predicament, go to an AA meeting, an Al Anon meeting, in order to educate and prepare yourself for this way of life, if it lands at your doorstep. Or don't get educated and walk away, freeing yourself from the darkness. The script for the doctors was not necessarily stereotyped. Most psychiatrist struggle to figure it out because every brain is different, every illness is different. It took 10 years and many traumatic trials to find the right cocktail for me. This movie should be shown the first year of college and then TALKED about with the students. Educate yourself, don't let us suffer in silence.

This movie is a masterpiece into the mind of depression, as being a person with many non severe depressions, I found this movie in-sighting. Too sadly the subject of depression is a taboo and does not get the proper spot on the screen. This is a one of a kind movie that deals with that bravely and straight forward. With no doubt this movie is depressing, but I think it might help people in need,because it shows that you are not alone, and that many people have been in this situation. I recommend you to google the name "Andrew Solomon" which the movie start with his quotation, he have many interesting on the subject. Lastley I think that this movie got a low score is due the fact that people are afraid to deal with this subject.

Helen Leonard (Ashley Judd) is a talented pianist and university instructor. She has a great second husband David (Goran Visnjic) and teenage daughter Julie (Alexia Fast). She is fascinated with student Mathilda (Lauren Lee Smith). She is racked with anxiety and gets hospitalized where she finds Mathilda. Dr. Sherman (Alberta Watson) is her therapist. After struggling back home, she tries suicide and gets sent back to the psych ward. She finds solace with fellow patient Mathilda and eventually goes off to live with her. Ashley Judd certainly tries hard to do some big time acting. Quite frankly, the acting is perfectly good. Lauren Lee Smith has a good role. However the movie has too many slow moving quiet scenes. It doesn't move enough to be compelling. It is a slow tired depressing watch. It's probably realistic but I've never liked watching depressed characters. They're a downer and this movie is a downer, too.

First of all, I love Ashley Judd and I will watch any movie she is in. She puts at least 100% into any role she plays. My review here is not about Ashley (I apologize, as I said, I love her). My review is about Lauren Lee Smith - an actress I don't see enough. She is absolutely wonderful. I first saw her in 9songs. A movie I watched because a patient recommended it for a reason I won't discuss. That female patient told me to watch as a man looking for beautiful nudity (not *). So I watched it and I did see the beautiful nudity but, if you can skip though the god-awful music (not my generation), Lauren is so great you can see why I try to see all of Lauren's work. She is amazing. She obviously takes parts that need this type of actress. She brings real life action to the usual US-repressed/suppressed sexuality movies. Thankfully, that seems to be changing. I think we need more reality in our movies and TV. Most other countries are far ahead of the US, but we will get there eventually.

During the movie at time 55:35, in the parking lot sucker punching scene, you can see a GIANT MAT that the guy lands on after being punched. During the movie at time 55:35, in the parking lot sucker punching scene< you can see a GIANT MAT that the guy lands on after being punched. During the movie at time 55:35, in the parking lot sucker punching scene< you can see a GIANT MAT that the guy lands on after being punched. During the movie at time 55:35, in the parking lot sucker punching scene< you can see a GIANT MAT that the guy lands on after being punched.