Helen

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.

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 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.

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 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+.