Movie Review: Mouthful of Air

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A realistic and often hard to watch view at depression. 
 
While many may complain that this movie doesn't have a lot of plot, to me that is just what makes it work. The sad truth about depression is that it often strikes people at times they should be happy when everything in their life is going right. As we watch Julie live her life, there is little doubt that she lives a life that many of us would dream of. She has beautiful kids and a spouse who loves her very much. To see how someone struggles with even enjoying this seemingly ideal  life makes this a film about depression instead of a film about a person with a depressing life. This is a side of depression not often looked at in movies, and one that is completely real to many people. This look at depression is made more real by Amanda Seyfried's great performance. She makes every scene feel completely real and is an important part of why this movie is so heartbreaking. This movie also takes a look at how such depression effects those who love the person. This is done intelligently. You can understand their exasperation at dealing with this every day, but they never come off as uncaring or unlikable.  

Unfortunately the storybook scenes feel out of place and add very little to the story. There is also quite a bit of dialogue that feels more than a bit forced. However this does not take away from how emotional impactful the best scenes in this movie are.