Julianne Moore
Alec Baldwin
Kristen Stewart
Kate Bosworth
Hunter Parrish

Richard Glatzer
Wash Westmoreland

101 mins.
Drama
December 5, 2014 (limited)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, and brief language including a sexual reference (MPAA)

“Still Alice,” the film adaptation of Lisa Genova’s novel of the same name by writer-directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, relies on simplicity. Much of Ilan Eshkeri’s score is filled with gentle sounds from pianos and strings, and there’s a welcome clarity (and purposeful lack thereof, at times) to Denis Lenoir’s cinematography; the lighting follows suit. Those three things – music, image, and light – work together to provide a contrast to the gradual deterioration of the titular character, played without a hint of artifice or unnecessary strain by Julianne Moore. Moore has been a reliable actress for quite some time, but I don’t think that I’ve ever seen her as dialed in as she is in this movie. She’s always wonderful and smart, but there’s something extra in this performance, though not in a showy way.

This film doesn’t throw its titular character’s Alzheimer’s disease in your face. Instead, it simply shows that disease for what it is. There’s no comment here. So the audience isn’t overly manipulated, as a result. Glatzer and Westmoreland trust that the material and the acting are enough; the result allows the audience to not only sympathize with Alice and her family but also empathize with them. It’s similar to “Away From Her” in that way, but this film is a touch lighter on its feet – just a touch, particularly during its first half. I wish that that lightness could have continued to the end, but it’s certainly understandable (possibly necessary) that it doesn’t.

Another benefit of the directors’ light touch is that the shifts between Alice’s moments of solitude (often while she’s out for a run) and her conversations with others stand out. Many dramas have that structure, but here it seems more pronounced and more effective than most. Plus, the entire cast, led by Moore, hits just the right notes. (Moore’s delivery of Alice’s final public speech at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Care Conference is a highlight.) The supporting cast, including Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Hunter Parrish, and a self-assured Kristen Stewart, does just that: gives Moore the support she needs to experience each moment without having to work too hard for it. While she gives the only true leading performance in the film, the weight of the film doesn’t seem to be solely on her shoulders. As a result, all of Moore’s considerable acting gifts shine through: her aforementioned intelligence, attentiveness, simplicity, and grace.

Overall, this is a quiet success.

Verdict: Very Good

About: (Source: sonyclassics.com/stillalice)

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Alice and her family find their bonds thoroughly tested. Her struggle to stay connected to who she once was is frightening, heartbreaking, and inspiring.