A Song for Martin
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Movie Reviews of A Song for Martin
Movie Review: Almost Completely Real
Summary: 3 Stars
The movie is well acted and scripted and quite scenic. Most of all it is almost a completely real depiction of alzheimers - a sort of relief for those who have lived through it (you learn others experience the same thing) and very informative for those who have not. I give it three stars for two reasons: the "reality" it failed to demonstrate is that a person cannot be a caretaker with no help whatsoever. We never see who watches Martin when the wife goes out or takes a shower or does anything that would lessen her focus on him. In real life the wife would have needed at least some assistance, particularly when Martin was prone to wandering. Those who have been caretakers know, even sleep is sometimes impossible to get when the alzheimer patient does NOT sleep or is not as docile as Martin. For instance, when she goes to see Martin's manager was Martin left alone? And secondly, I think the wife was rather cruel sometimes. By the time the patient is far gone enough to potentially agitate the caregiver, the caregiver also knows, by then, not to expect the patient to "act normal." It seemed to me the wife got upset as she repeatedly expected more normal behaviour from someone who was no longer normal. In real life you learn to not expect so much, be glad for the lucid times, ad that yelling abusive things is not the best way to handle the rough times.
Three stars because the wife's behaviour and demeanor were a turn off to me and also because the movie was bit slow moving. I do recommend this though.
Movie Review: A Depiction of Perfection !!!
Summary: 2 Stars
After veiwing this movie I was ecstatic and raced to the phone to share the wonderful feeling I was left with during the credits. My Mother, who became a caretaker for my Father for 10 long years as he gradually succumed to the devastation of Alzheimers,is now anxious to veiw the movie as well.The time span of possibly 3 years(???)portrayed the stages so impeccably, it seemed to parallel the many years of my fathers illness.The touches of humor (so desperately clung to in the beginning stages of this disease) become downward spiral eventually replaces the person who was thought to be irreplaceable, and dares us to survive the challenge of coping ,caring, and loving a stranger who, occasionally, says a phrase or hums a tune, one we thought was so long in the past, we'd never get to hear it again. These are the best of moments, for their length is just that,a pleasurable reprieve,swept from our thoughts as suddendly as it arose and replaced with seemingly constant repetative rapore, as the days of the week are explained again, and then again to Martin by his ever-patient Love, Barbara. I was saddened to find the original book written by Ulla Isaksson, was in Swedish and was not translated into english.
So much of the book, I'm sure,was impossible to cover in this two hour drama and unfortunately I'm unable to read the book on which "A Song For Martin" was based.If this is inncorrect please respond w/info on locating an english copy.