"Elyse" is a tough movie to watch and I STRONGLY recommend you think twice before watching it. It's very depressing to watch and is NOT a film the average viewer will appreciate...let alone enjoy. In fact, NO ONE who watches this movie will enjoy it. Appreciate it...perhaps...but it cannot be enjoyed and it's a tough movie to watch. And, who would probably appreciate it most? Probably mental health workers or folks who have experienced the impact of severe mental illness on their families. But be forewarned...it's draining, depressing and will likely leave you feeling miserable.
The movie begins with Elyse (Lisa Pepper) living in a nice house, having a cute child and a husband. However, you can soon tell that something is wrong. Elyse is emotionally fragile and her feelings turn on a dime. One moment, she's depressed, other moments she's angry and at others she's flirty...and there seems to be no predicting these mood swings. Eventually, the moodiness becomes so bad that you see her in a psychiatric institution....and here is where the movie gets very vague. The sense of time and what's been happening is uncertain...as if you are only seeing snapshots of her life. One thing is certain, she's completely withdrawn from the world and is completely catatonic...unresponsive and living within herself. What's next and how did she get to this point? See the film....or don't.
An important thing about this story is that you should NOT make any sort of judgment on Elyse, her husband, her mother and the other characters in the story. This is because of the deliberate choppiness of the story...and if you are patient, it works very well by the end.
Anthony Hopkins plays the psychiatrist treating Elyse. He is generally good, though some of his actions are confusing...this coming from me being a trained psychotherapist. His language, voice and decisions he makes on the case all seem very sound. But he also makes a HUGE mistake that movie psychiatrists/psychologists make...he talks too much and asks too many questions. A good therapist does neither. But on the other hand, it's obvious the writer did some research and the mental health angle is done well...though the ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) session you see is atypical. Normally, the electric current is administered only a fraction of a second and not much more...though in rare cases, like this film, the duration can be a bit longer. Because of all this, this movie would be great for psychology graduate students to watch.
Again...I warn you to be careful before you watch. While it is a very good film, it's so depressing and awful at times (most of the time, actually) that it's best you see it if you are in good spirits. And, following seeing the film, do something to be kind to yourself....you probably will need it.
