This is far more than the average television movie, that's for sure. If only they could all be as good then maybe they wouldn't be looked down on so much. This film touches upon a lot of soft spots with me, it's so powerful and moving in many different ways. Just hearing the excellent theme music alone is enough to move me deeply and get me into the dramatic spirit of it, every time. The music is very beautiful and has a haunting melancholy feel to it that greatly captures the themes of adversity and fear very well. Diana Ross was just fantastic, if I were ever lucky enough to meet her I'd tell her how much I loved her in this. She must have had to go to a very dark place to portray so well the pain, madness and anguish of someone with a fragmented mind who had lived with such an unimaginable disease for so long. She did a highly effective job with her appearance, making herself appear all ramshackle and hard-edged, with a pained and grim expression that she wears for the first half of the film. Her deviousness in the scene where she poisons her sister with her medication is chilling. Her slow return to normality and a new life over the coarse of the film is inspiring to see. It's all handled in such a raw, honest and not overly-dramatic way that you can't help falling into the story and sympathising with everyone involved. ::: A brilliant talent that I've seen with another film from the director, the equally excellent "God Bless the Child", is his ability to deftly juggle many smaller characters and not have the plot seem cluttered, and make them all seem like fully realised human beings and not forgettable bit parts. And that's a huge part of why I love this and why I believe it works so terrifically, all the characters have a strong, rich sense of chemistry. There are plenty of fine examples of acting talent on display. Gloria Foster(Oracle off Matrix) was wonderful as the long-suffering and weary mother. For whatever reason, this film is not on her list of credits, nor is she credited in it. RIP. Chasiti Hampton put in a great little performance as the mature-beyond-her-years daughter who fears that she will inherit her mother's condition. Lindsey Crouse, who a lot will probably recognise as the villainous Professor Walsh from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" puts in a strong turn as the straight-laced but compassionate shrink who patiently works Paulie back to mental health. I just love her in two scenes where she forces Paulie to face reality and drags her out of bed and into a cold shower, and another where she holds onto her until she calms down on a frightening trip on a busy subway train. Maura Tierney is really sweet and poignant in an early role as Paulie's friend and fellow schizophrenic sufferer Meg, who's fragile mental state gives way to suicidal despair in one harrowing scene. ::: There are numerous emotionally moving scenes and moments that can make me all misty about the eyes, chief among them is absolutely the heart-rending final scene, which is superbly done and astoundingly moving. The way she sees the damaged woman that could so easily have been her had she not have gotten the help she needed from so many devoted people. That scene does bring tears every time I see it because it really sums up and concludes everything so perfectly. It's quite a harsh film, but also hopeful if one is still happening to be finding the way out of their own darkness... And I appreciate it very much when hope in a film is not some great, golden sunrise moment, but something small and quaint. more realistic-and to me far more precious and meaningful for it. She's finally free, and in a good place where she's hopefully overcome her nightmare for good, but she looks back at that Shadow of a human being with a heavy heart, because she's been there too.
Review of Out of Darkness
