Helen (2009) Reviews

• Another Powerhouse Performance from Ashley Judd

  evanston_dad2010-12-23

  A painful movie about a woman struggling with severe clinical depression. Ashley Judd has a knack for giving powerhouse performances in movies no one's ever heard of (did you ever see her in "Bug?"), and she disappears utterly into the character of "Helen," who herself descends into hell when her illness makes an appearance after lying dormant for many years. Let me be clear -- this movie is one long sustained note of agony, and it is not pleasant to sit through. But it's fascinating in its own way, and the thought of it haunted me for days after I'd seen it. The filmmaker clearly had a very personal and painful relationship with her subject (she lost her childhood friend to clinical depression), and one might think this would make her incapable of retaining the objectivity needed to prevent a film like this from turning into melodrama, but one would be wrong for thinking that. Grade: A-

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• Depressing movie about depression

  rps-22011-07-01

  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 of it. Yet I'm not sure I would recommend it to someone in the middle of depression. It is very much a "downer." Indeed my wife's comment was "I don't want to look at it. I've been through it." Having said that it is an extremely well executed film in all regards. Someone without any history of depression might not understand it or might think it exaggerates. To someone like myself, it was all too realistic. To someone in the middle of depression, it could push them over the edge. Clinical depression is right behind heart disease and cancer as a killer except that its victims die of suicide. Certainly anything that focuses attention on it such as this movie is good. In addition to its horror, depression too often is a "closet" disease in which the victim feels hopelessly lonely as was evident here as Helen tries unsuccessfully to fake normalcy. (Been there...done that...) I believe this film can be useful to the family of anyone suffering depression because it illustrates the despair of the victim and the immense stress on family and professional life. But it could be dangerous for the actual victim. But thank you for tackling a subject that too often is taboo.

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• Welcome to the mind of a depressed person

  rooprect2011-09-30

  At first I didn't like this movie a whole lot. As other reviewers have already pointed out, it's merciless in its stereotypical portrayal of people: every character in the movie is a royal jerk except for the 2 depressed people, and it gives the impression that all doctors are cold-hearted sadists, all spouses are selfish psychos, and people in general are totally apathetic. But hold on... Then it suddenly dawned on me, duh, that's exactly how one views the world when one is in the throes of depression. I believe it wasn't the filmmakers' intent to make an objective film. I think they were out to show us a somewhat skewed perspective through the eyes of a depressed person. At that, it's very successful. So yes, this is a depressing movie. It's dark. It's irritating. It makes you feel like the world is a sucky place. But if, for some bizarre reason, you want to know what it's like to be depressed, then this is the movie for you. I can't say that I "enjoyed" it (I'm no masochist!) but I can say that it'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 happy person with its cartoon colours and bouncy pace, "Helen" shows us the opposite side of the coin with its darkness, bleached visuals and monotonous presentation. If you want to know what it's like to be bipolar, 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 Ourselves the DVD Rental Fee") and "Leaving Las Vegas". All of these are excellent films. But wow, hide the sharp metal objects before viewing.

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• As Dark and as Static as the Illness it Depicts

  gradyharp2010-08-15

  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

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• text book

  megalemeter2011-03-15

  There are no heroes, no victims, no rescue teams, no spectacular recovery...and that's the beauty of this movie. Some might say that the film is too long or too dark with no switches or no sharp turns of events. This is one of those movies where you can learn from a lot. The most 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 a strong believe that if you watch this movie carefully you will be well prepared if someone you love had to deal with such problem. Ashley Judd gave wonderful performance. Light, camera, action should be credited as the rest of the cast.

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