AWAKENINGS BD [Blu-ray]

Robin Williams is one of our favorite actors! When I realized it was a true story, it made it so much better and made me emotional!

This movie stars Robert Di Nero as a catatonic patient in a mental hospital in the 1960s; Robin Williams plays the part of his doctor. It is a thought provoking drama that is based on a true story. From around 1915 to 1925 there was a worldwide epidemic of a disease called encephalitis lethargica. Although most people recovered, thousands died, and a small percentage survived but were left with catatonic like symptoms. This movie, based on the book Awakenings by Dr. Oliver Sacks, discloses how L Dopa, a drug designed to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinsons's Disease, helped "awaken" a group of encephalitis lethargica patients in the late 1960s. Although the movie presents only a small group of patients, actually there were thousands of victims living in institutions across the country in the mid Twentieth Century. The story line focuses on Leonard Lowe because he is the first to be given the drug and the first to experience its effects, both good and bad. I'm not going to spoil the ending, so wont say anymore about the plot, but I do highly recommend this film. I found it particularly moving because this is one of the few dramas I have seen where most of the characters are likeable and all are well-intended. Even doctors who oppose Sayer's proposal to try the L Dopa do so in the patients' best interests. The only villain here is the illness itself and the social conundrums it creates. For example, what is the appropriate protocol for caring for patients when no treatment exists? In the movie Robin Williams gives medication just because he thinks it might help...and in doses he hopes will do more good than harm. Is he right to put a patient at risk like that? Is it justified if the patient's situation is hopeless anyway? Another issue is society's responsibility to people who can't take care of themselves. Over the course of the movie it becomes clear that the encephalitis patients have not been in the institution ever since they became ill. It was only after their caregivers could no longer take care of them that they were admitted to a facility for the mentally ill although their diagnosis was not mental illness. Was institutionalization in mental hospitals appropriate in that case? If not, where should they have gone? These questions are not answered because no agreed upon answer exists. Instead, it is left up to the viewer to ponder and decide because there is no guarantee something like this won't happen again.

THE FILM: Directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Robert de Niro and Robin Williams (along with a few other familiar faces), AWAKENINGS is a wonderful film which explores the deep-seated human need for personal connections and the vitality they bring to life. Robert de Niro plays Leonard Lowe, a patient who has been catatonic for 30 years. Robin Williams plays Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a neurologist who works at the hospital where Leonard and many others like him are patients. The plot is about how Dr. Sayer treats these patients with an experimental drug and monitors how it affects them, with Leonard being his first/initial test case. At this point, I'll refrain from describing the plot. What needs to be said more than anything is that the character work by de Niro and Williams is some of the best I've seen from them, and really showed a devotion to their craft. In particular, de Niro stands out because his role as a catatonic patient probably required extreme physical discipline as well as having to internalize his character's thoughts a lot of the time. Robin Williams is also excellent as the introvert doctor who gradually comes to an awakening of his own. The film isn't particularly subtle about what the audience is supposed to take from these two parallel characters, but the subject is treated deftly and not spoon-fed. I also liked the insight into the workings of a hospital in the late 60's, and the interactions between the various members of the supporting cast. In particular, Julie Kavner (voices Marge on The Simpsons) gave a wonderful, understated performance as the head nurse, and who also develops a special bond with Dr. Sayer. The only minor complaint I have is that de Niro might have gone too method at a couple points in the film, with his characterization bordering on the cartoonish. Still, he manages to make his character accessible and sympathetic. Overall, I felt that this film was a sweet look at human interaction, love, and making up for lost time. Highly recommended.THE DISC: The picture and sound quality are excellent, but there are no special features to speak of. I'm one that tends to prefer films with at least some supplemental material, but the film stands well enough on its own.OVERALL: This is an outstanding film that was given a solid, if unspectacular treatment by Image Entertainment. Worth buying on the film's merits alone.

Acteurs exceptionnels. Un film touchant inspiré de faits réels. Bien que le film soit ennuyeux par certains moments , il n’en demeure pas moins émouvant et instructif.

Einer der besten Filme ever

Bien

It’s a great movie

One of my favorite movies! The acting is incredibly good, the true story is touching and very educative.