I gave up on this film after 10 minutes..., but then I went back because Diana Ross is amazing in it as Pauline, and because the topic of mental health is important to me. My main complaints: The film sensationalizes violent episodes and is too biased toward one particular drug being a successful treatment for mental health issues versus counseling, which is given little focus. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that the film was sponsored by drug companies that manufacture Clozapine. I wish they had done a better job showing the suffering people go through trying to wean themselves off psychiatric drugs. Also, the expression of emotion has a powerful healing effect, and Pauline showed plenty of healthy emotion (mostly crying), but drugs actually interfere with emotional healing most of the time, not enhance it, so the film is misleading in this sense. On the plus side: Looking past the exaggerated violence, we get to see the internal struggle and relationship issues. We see Pauline's isolation as well as her openness (e.g. telling her 10 year-old daughter what it's like, and apologizing to her angry sister). I loved the particular staff member who "rescued" Pauline with warmth and tough love. My lesson: Most of us pass by in fear or apathy when we see homeless or "crazy" people. Pauline's behavior in the last scene shows we have another choice, if not to help them, at least to feel some compassion.
Review of Out of Darkness
