Iris

Some folks I asked about this film were either unaware that it dealt with Alzheimer's or thought that if it was primarily about Alzheimer's they should have used a non-famous person in the title role. I have to respectfully disagree. This film is incredibly moving precisely because a famous author, renowned for her ability with words, declines due to the disease. And I'd also have to disagree that the film is primarily about Alzheimer's. Not true -- the film is really about love. While the main characters, Iris Murdoch and her husband John Bayley, love each other it doesn't seem like the same kind of love. Iris' is secretive; John's is full-on devotion. And that makes a world of difference when the disease captures her. While the film is based on his memoirs, so events and feelings are filtered through his eyes, not hers, it seems like an accurate portrayal of Iris and the disease. We see all the saddest characteristics of the disease (the one that sticks out in my mind is when she decides the living room is the bathroom), yet it's told with great tenderness and, well, love. Both Judi Dench and Kate Winslet bring Iris alive for us, but the award definitely goes to (and did go to) Jim Broadbent for his portrayal of the husband. What a chameleon this actor is -- he's great at playing a sad sack (e.g., Bridget Jones' Diary), but then he explodes on the scene as in Moulin Rouge! and we have to modify our opinion one more time.

year: 2001
length: 91 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280778/combined