Christine (2016)

Genres

Biography, Drama

Director

Antonio Campos

Country

USA, UK

Cast

Rebecca Hal, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts, Maria Dizzia, J. Smith-Cameron, John Cullum, Timothy Simons, Kim Shaw, Morgan Spector

Storyline

It follows TV reporter Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall) struggling with depression and professional frustration as she tries to advance her career.

Opinion

No, it's not a remake of the horror film. That said, I've been reading so many great things about Christine over the past months that I've finally decided to watch it, knowing very little about it - like the end that some fellow blogger spoiled for me. Well, it was quite a depressing experience, to be honest, but that doesn't mean Christine isn't a great film. That's exactly what it is, a great drama. 

The story is about the real life of Christine Chubbuck, which makes it even more shocking, it deals with her struggle with depression and how this affects her personal and professional life and it's utterly suspenseful and fascinating in spite of me knowing the ending already.

But the film doesn't simply tell a story about depression, it is a great look on such an important illness. We live in a society that tells us all the time that mental illness is not real, it's just in their heads, it's a chemical imbalance and it can be fixed with drugs. But the truth is that there's no cure for it, and that scares the shit out of us. In addition, I feel like the way the film deals with such a sensitive topic makes it easier for people unfamiliar with depression and mental illness to understand these issues. 

And then there's the main character, Christine, the ultimate portrayal of depression. She is compassionate, she loves children and she has joy in doing good things, but, at the same time, she is a very difficult person to be near. She is a woman that really wants to be happy but that keeps sabotaging herself and jeopardising her happiness. And Rebecca Hall is sensational in the role. Her performance is touching and heartbreaking. She makes you care for the character and basically carries the movie on her shoulders from start to finish. Hers was easily one of the best performance of the past year.