User reviews

This movie was mostly a tough watch because it is something I lived with - the great and only part that deserves a view and that give to it a 3 stars is the performance of Ashley Judd and actress than than Jean and Marilyn series, didn't shine of so many movies.

Her role is just pure anguish to someone that had similar diagnoses to the ones that her character pass on the movie (Major Depression with psychotic symptoms and a light bipolar disturb). Probably her best role in any work she had done, that shows easily the anguish, sometimes semeling without cause and the masks we have to use dya thought day to be in a "normal" life.

Also it have and explanation as Judd (and multi-activist) herself had major depression thought her life that isn't something that you can "cure" overnight, you just learn to cope with it. She lived a troubled life thought her youth and entered major rehabilitation in 2006 - and now with the suicide of her mother in 2022 (yes, in many cases it is something that runs through the family).

The major flaws probably are by Sandra Nettelbeck, the german writer and director - herself a depression survivor - mostly know by "Mostly Martha" (2001) and somelighter movies. The story could be a lot better written and the choice of Goran Visnjic (lately seen in some series and in Hellraiser remake) as a lovely husband that tries to cope with the situation isn't the best, and the choice of support that only someone that passed thought that can understand what it is is a partial true - because lot's of people can understand that by empathy even didn't really lived depression.

As a whole it is something that I can only recommend to someone that wants to see what is to live with major depression (even if we don't "read" what is going inside the protagonist head) - painful to see as real as it can be.

I imagine this TV movie (it seems to be because of some black screen change in some sequences) in the hands of a most skilled writer and director what t could be with Ashely and her acting. If taken most seriously it could be a contender for best actress. Overall for her work a 6,0 out of 10,0 / C+.

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.

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.

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.

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-

This movie is way too long for the events it depicts, and way too dark both in content and in the film. I understand the under lighted scenes are supposed to reflect the darkness of depression, but it's as annoying to watch two hours of no one bothering to turn on a light bulb as 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 from everyone in this movie. If a half hour more was moved to the cutting room 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, a dark drama on clinical depression.

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.

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.

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.

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.

With the tragic loss from depression of a close family member, Ashley Judd filmed this movie long before the death of her mother. In the movie, her character Helen, suffers from disabling severe depression. The movie does an accurate job of showing how severe depression impacts daily life. Sleeping a lot, negative self talk, little tasks become overwhelming and, wanting to isolate themselves are some of the typical symptoms. It's very hard for someone not familiar with depression to understand how disabling it is. It's hard for someone dealing with severe depression to explain how disabling it is. I would recommend this movie.

I saw this film yesterday evening on TV and I must say it is very beautiful and painful at the same time. You must be in the mood for this kind of film. Acting is excellent by all of the actors, but Ashley is simply brilliant – she could easily be nominated for Oscar. It is not an everyday story and topic is very hard and demanding, but directing and the tempo of the film is perfect, so you can easily follow the story and feel the pain of all the participants in the story. Goran Visnjic and Lauren Lee Smith both gave one of there best performances by my standards. I recommend this film to all the real movie fans who can appreciate the story and acting without a bunch of special effects.

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.

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

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 porn). 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.

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.

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.

It dives into the darkness of depression. I personally do not suffer from it but I have close friends and relatives that do. I have watched how it has affected their lives and I love that this movie is so raw and shows different angles of the ugly disease.

I don't understand why some people are so harsh on the ratings for this movie because there's not much the producer and writer could have done to improve this film.

It was nice that they included more than one clinically depressed character and they both suffered differently. I like how they did not put both characters in a box per se. They showed the different walks of life. + How they lived through it.

I believe that depression is very difficult to portray intimatly as so much of it is internal. What the outside may be witness to is the side effects. Sleeping too much very very deeply and/or sleeping to little and very lightly.

The foggyness of the mind. Forgetfulness to extremes. The lack of curiosity, will power,passion,enjoyment for anything. Lack of appetite. Explosive anger, explosive sadness....

The deep dark cave of despair hopelessness and loneliness. It is all encompassing and smothering.

This film attempted to visually portray those internal feelings and that is a very complex concept to "show" Having said that this film is as close as any I've seen to express that internal HELL adequately. But still falls short of the reality.

If you haven't walked in the shoes, as the saying goes, you are not able to FULLY understand.

Keep that in mind as you watch this.

From the start I felt invited into tha family - as an observer. It was realistic. Personally I was born into a family with my father already in a mental hospital for schizophrenia. Not much was known about mental illness and my father's family blamed my mother. Only a small part of that family became friendly to us. Later in life I had PTSD from the war in Vietnam. It took a few years to focus on education and work. Decades later I have handled it well.

In this movie the two main characters have severe mental illness and it affects all the people around them. Helen is an accomplished pianist and music professor who at first seems like a normal person. Meanwhile Matilda, a music student of Helen suffers from depression. This is NOTHING like fiction, it is a common occurrence. The acting is excellent. I (and my wife, who also has two close family members with mental illness, one of whom attempted suicide. All of the key actors are doing excellent jobs, being very believable, with many emotional reactions that often occur in such cases.