A rich seventies couple - Roland and Vanessa, played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - visit a remote Mediterranean paradise to stay for a while in the hopes that he might get passed his writer's block and she might get over.... something. With him indulging in too much drink and her indulging in too much of absolutely nothing, progress seems to be very poor - at least until a second, younger honeymoon couple arrive at the same hotel.
Judged by its indifferent scores and very underwhelming box office take you might dismiss this film as a vanity project hatched by an actress with more money than talent - but that would be very unfair. In Angelina Jolie's Wikipedia page "episodes of depression" are mentioned and in this film it seems clear that she's addressing these and other demons from her own past even if the basic plot is fictional. This is not the kind of subject matter suited to an entertaining evening with a romantic dinner or after a curry and a pint (substitute non-UK alternatives here if you wish). This never was a film that was even targeted at big box office.
Is it a good depiction of depression? I'm lucky enough not to have personal experience here so I don't know. But I do feel that I learned something and in that Jolie must have succeeded - for that must surely have been her true goal. And I respect her for taking on the challenge.
The film isn't perfect though. Even with the chosen subject matter, the pace is sometimes a little slow and the new interest that Vanessa eventually finds and shares with Roland is a little creepy. (If the gender roles were reversed I'm sure it would be judged as great deal worse than creepy.)
Overall, though, if you feel up to trying to understand something of depression from the inside, this might be a good place to start.
Judged by its indifferent scores and very underwhelming box office take you might dismiss this film as a vanity project hatched by an actress with more money than talent - but that would be very unfair. In Angelina Jolie's Wikipedia page "episodes of depression" are mentioned and in this film it seems clear that she's addressing these and other demons from her own past even if the basic plot is fictional. This is not the kind of subject matter suited to an entertaining evening with a romantic dinner or after a curry and a pint (substitute non-UK alternatives here if you wish). This never was a film that was even targeted at big box office.
Is it a good depiction of depression? I'm lucky enough not to have personal experience here so I don't know. But I do feel that I learned something and in that Jolie must have succeeded - for that must surely have been her true goal. And I respect her for taking on the challenge.
The film isn't perfect though. Even with the chosen subject matter, the pace is sometimes a little slow and the new interest that Vanessa eventually finds and shares with Roland is a little creepy. (If the gender roles were reversed I'm sure it would be judged as great deal worse than creepy.)
Overall, though, if you feel up to trying to understand something of depression from the inside, this might be a good place to start.