Mental illness is a category of disorders that can completely distort the perception of life for someone. Our brains are our source of control of our body and this idea is presented in the rawest way possible in No Letting Go.
The story follows an affluent family who has a son who is diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. We are taken through this family’s desperate time of trying to attain peace for their child. Timothy, the affected boy, is played by Noah Silverman in an enrapturing way. The main supporter of Timothy is his mother, Catherine, who is played by Cheryl Allison.
From the beginning, we see Timothy stare out onto a stage from the side just waiting. We get that sense that he is stuck. We see Timothy at 10 years old feeling a complete sense of being overwhelmed where it is painful to him. This character can’t even get out of the car. When first reacting to Timothy’s behavior, the father is impatient and the usual “man” character. I saw that absence of understanding that came from the Dad as I have seen similar behavior in other male characters of stories. We see Timothy lying in his bed with covers all around him with an immense sense of fatigue and depression. I felt the gripping helplessness that the character feels. This film had a magnificent way of getting to your heart and making you realize what mental illness is. It instilled empathy in me beyond bounds. Timothy experiences events that should make a boy excited but instead he is penetrated by the dark mind. He can’t have the feeling of happiness at a birthday party and is instead trapped.
There is a scene that is so angering but true when the other soccer moms witness Timothy having an episode. They immediately judge him and his mother while having no education on mental health. They have no empathy with what Catherine is going through. I’m sure this scene has been occurring in real life many times for parents with children who have mental disorders. The film brought to a grey light the dire pain that Timothy was experiencing. It brilliantly captures Timothy trying to drown himself as the water drips down the bathtub side in some excellent cinematography. Even after Tim’s younger brother has headphones placed on him during the most breaking scene in the film, we feel some good with the white fade at the end. No Letting Go takes those with mental health issues and those without on a trying journey that puts facts in front of our eyes while trying to break the stigma of mental illness. It is a truly outstanding story.
(Review by Wyatt Head)
Randi Silverman: Co-writer and Co-producer for film No Letting Go
Cheryl Allison: role of Catherine Spencer in film
3/29/2016 at La Madeleine in Dallas.
No comments:
Post a Comment