A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about being a moanie ould bag with the medical licence to shame all into allowing me wallow. Well that’s how some people see depression, if you are one of those people I’d be interested to see what you think of the film, Helen.

I know, a film about depression, you’re just racing to see where you can get it aren’t you? Get the popcorn on, it’ll be a corker. Great craic altogether.

No, it ain’t fun. Nature of the beast I suppose. Personally, I was chuffed that they were dealing with this thing as something other than a disease-of-the-week film. Plus, Ashley Judd. Nuff said.

Our titular heroine seems to have the perfect life. She’s a music professor beloved by her students, she has an adoring husband and daughter and a ridiculously wonderful life. Snore. Anyway, she’s played by Ashley Judd. Ah, from snore to score.

Our Helen realises that there is something wrong. Her insomnia is getting worse, she dreads human interaction even with her devoted family and darn it, just can’t figure out what’s up.

Except she can.

Turns out Helen had a bout of post-natal depression after the birth of her daughter, so she can smell it. She knows that the darkness is starting to descend. But this time why? She’s happy. Her life is perfect. What’s the story?

In the best part of the film, Judd is incredibly moving as she deals with the crap of untreated depression; the crying for no reason, the inability to complete a thought, sitting in the car and wondering how to face the people at home.

It’s interesting that the film brings up that age-old question. What’s wrong? Well, nothing actually. Except for the chemical imbalance in my brain and my need for serotonin among other things.

She doesn’t know that yet. She does what we all do. Try to “get better” on our own. That way you’re not really sick.

This is all too evident to her husband, played by Goran Visnjic, who is totally clueless as to what the bleeding hell is going on. I asked my partner if his stuff was as realistic as hers. Her words “why hasn’t he checked it out on the internet, read something, educate himself?”. She has a point. He may be lost but he doesn’t seem to be looking or a map.

This is all fascinating for the informed viewer, but I have to say, it must be all snot bubbles and bad hair for anyone else.

But it’s Ashley Judd. Plus, to make it better, just as she starts to get less pretty (crying and its damned ability to feck up the peepers) Lauren Lee Smith arrives on the scene. The one and only soup chef! Still with me? Thought so.

LLS plays Mathilda. A gorgeous cello player from Helen’s college who has her own psychiatric problem – looked like manic depression to me but I dunno. She lost her mother to suicide quite young and sees Helen as her chance to save a depressed mother. Their relationship is great; warm, deep, emotional. No, they don’t shag.

Then things get a bit heavy-handed for my liking.

There are many, many ways to deal with psychiatric illnesses, whether it be manic or clinical depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, phobias and so on; therapy, medication or a combination of both are what most people use to live with our disorders. In typical Hollywood fashion, these are summarily mentioned or completely ignored in favour of ECT – electroconvulsive therapy, or electro-shock therapy. Seriously!

Now electroconvulsive therapy is used alright. But only in the most desperate of cases. It’s a last resort.

All in all, Helen is a good first step in breaking down the stereotypes and cliches of mental illness but only goes so far. It eventually gets bogged down in the usual shite, and the whole film loses its way. Helen herself seems to nearly disappear from the story only to return again after being zapped, Mathilda diappointingly turns into stock “mentally unstable character 101″ although it has to be said that LLS gives her depth few other actors could.

In summary, watch it if you’re interested in Ashley, Lauren or depression. Hmmm I can think of a happier threesome involving those two.

Helen on IMDB

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