The words “Academy Award Winner Julianne Moore” will never get old for me. After a career of wonderful and diverse performances, a couple weeks ago, she finally got her hands on the elusive golden statue. And rightly so. She’s one of the best actors of her generation, if not ever and her performances, no matter how big or small, seem to lift films into stratospheres in which they don’t belong. Never has this been more perfectly exemplified than in Still Alice, a film that follows an academic who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

One of the most striking things about Still Alice is its sheer simplicity. The story is structured fairly basically, following Alice’s struggle with Alzheimer’s from the very beginning. The dialogue and scenes are extremely natural and it just seems as though we’re intruding on the life of this otherwise normal family. While this can feel underwhelming at times, looking back it’s completely the right decision. Directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland clearly realise that Alzheimer’s disease is a more than compelling subject matter, and the simplicity and ease with which they transfer it onto the screen makes for a very poignant viewing experience.

Another aspect that Still Alice gets completely right is its very accurate portrayal of the disease. Many films about long term illness often fall into the trap of just using the illness as a backdrop, yet throughout Still Alice there’s not one point in which you feel you’re watching some kind of Hollywood version of Alzheimer’s. I’ll admit that I have never had first-hand experiences with the disease; however I have read many an article confirming the film’s accuracy.

I also think that far too little praise has been given to the supporting cast. Alec Baldwin, playing the husband of an Oscar winner for the second time in a row after his turn opposite Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, is simply fantastic as a husband who is desperately trying to be supportive, but, being only human, now and again cracks under the pressure. Kristen Stewart, much like former Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, continues to make interesting acting decisions.

Yet the film is without a doubt Julianne Moore’s, who single-handedly converts what would be a good film into an excellent one. It’s a perfect example of a director, or in this case directors, having complete and utter faith in their leading lady, and rightly so. Her performance is not only technically brilliant, conveying the different stages of the character’s disease flawlessly, but it is also an extremely subtle one. Her character is an academic, someone who defines herself through her intellect and language, and thus desperately tries to hide her mental deterioration from those around her. Yet with her performance, Moore is somehow able to convey to the audience all those emotions that her character is desperately trying to hide.

One thing that is important to say is that at times the film is emotionally difficult watch, and if you have had experience with Alzheimer’s I’d definitely think twice before going to see it. However, for a film that on the surface is very simple, Still Alice is powerful and moving.