Justine

Jamie Patterson's 'Justine' is a wonderfully soulful exploration of addiction and self-destruction. The cast are amazing and the film never fails to give an authentic insight into the worlds of the characters it portrays.

Justine was a tender and intimate portrait of the impact of self-destructive behaviour on a fledgling relationship. The restrained, naturalistic approach kept the focus on the interior lives of the characters, and Sophie Reid was pitch-perfect as the caring girlfriend attempting to mitigate Justine's resignation. Locations had been thoughtfully chosen to build Justine's experience of the world - ranging from the depressingly banal, to the clinically institutional, and the alienatingly comfortable, while the lighting made her world look cold and quotidian. This is a film with something to say, and it says it simply, quietly and affectingly.

Tallulah Haddon creates this devastating role. It is scary. It messes with your mind. One thing you know: it's real. It seems inadequate to say, "People like this must actually exist." We have to say, "Justine exists!" Maybe in a street near you. So what are we going to do with her?

We could wash our hands of Justine. Her mother has done just that. "We gave you everything, the best schools, a nice home. You hate yourself. You could have done anything with your life. You are breaking my heart."

What we need is a professional. That therapist goes through the motions, but you can see what she's thinking: "I can't help people who won't help themselves."

Justine has a friend, a black kid (Xavien Russell). He's got survival skills, and he knows when to stand back from a problem, when it gets too big for him.

Vodka, neat, sucked out of a water bottle, is the one thing that can reconcile Justine to herself. But perhaps love can succeed where all else has failed. Rachel (Sophie Reid) gives it her best shot, but she may have taken on more than she can handle.

A powerful film, but enjoyable? You'll need to be prepared to watch, while your attitudes, your empathy, your understandings and your compassion get a thorough churning at the laundromat. And then are you going to come out of it sadder but wiser? This movie doesn't bring with it any guarantees.

Justine is an uncomfortably realistic look at how depression can impact one's and your loved one's lives. It is a portait of a young woman in her late teens or early twenties that has lost all hope in life and sees no possible future that she could try to work towards. An unbelievably powerful performance by Tallhula Haddon as Justine elevates a movie that perfects showcasing the feeling of hopelessness. As someone who has suffered from depression for a long time I have to say: I have never seen a film depict it this accurately. It also captures how hard it is to committ to relationships when suffering from depression, but also how hard it is to be in a relationship with someone who does. The film very realisticly depicts the despair and helplessness you feel when you love someone that just can't feel as happy you want him/her to.

To clarify, this is not a film to watch when you are looking for a joyful evening or something to switch off your brain after a hard day of work. If you however are in the right mindset for it, you are in for a very accurate, realistic and gut wrenching depiction of something that a lot of members of our society are going through, most of them unnoticed.