You're Not You

Kate is a woman who has it all -- beautiful, wealthy, a talented pianist, had a loving husband. Bec is a young woman who seemed to have everything going against her -- irresponsible college student, always drunk, sleeps around, a failed musician.

But one fateful day, Kate was diagnosed with the debilitating neurologic disease called ALS, which left her progressively helpless with her personal care. When she was choosing her caretaker, Kate saw something in this mess that is Bec. From there, these two women, who are polar opposites of each other, get along, bond and help each other get through their lives.

When ALS was mentioned as the diagnosis, you knew then where this film is headed. ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and its devastating consequences has been in the news very much this year because of the viral Ice Bucket Challenge. There will be no surprises what will happen anymore during the course of the story up to the predictable end.

However, what will keep you glued to the screen are the performances of the two lead actresses: Hilary Swank as Kate, and Emmy Rossum as Bec.

I have not seen Hilary Swank for a long time already since her two Oscar Best Actress wins in the previous decade for "Boys Don't Cry" (1999) and "Million Dollar Baby" (2004). This film is somewhat reminiscent of the second film where she played a female boxer who had a spinal cord injury that made her quadriplegic.

Here in "You're Not You," the progress of the neurologic disorder is gradual, so Swank brought us on a torturous tour of how it is like to have your body deteriorate even as your brain remains completely lucid. Her character Kate remains so magnanimous throughout her ordeal, making her character likable and sympathetic even if we do not understand much of what she was saying.

I have not seen Emmy Rossum in another role since her breakthrough as the ingenue Christine in the film version of the Broadway musical "The Phantom of the Opera" (2004). Her brash and slovenly character here is so different from the meek, refined Christine in Phantom. This effectively shows the wide range Ms. Rossum has gained over the years.

Here we will also see the reaction of different people around them, their parents, the men in their lives, their friends, which kept things interesting.

Josh Duhamel plays Kate's controlling husband Evan. Frances Fisher plays Kate's mother, while Ed Begley Jr. plays her favorite uncle. Loreta Devine plays a fellow ALS patient who becomes her friend, while Eddie Hudson plays her supportive husband. Ali Larter and Andrea Savage play her fair-weather friends. On Bec's side, we have Marcia Gay Harden who plays her cold mother. Julian McMahon plays her sleazy professor. Jason Ritter plays a dorky but persistent suitor.

This film may be hard to swallow in several parts because of the intensity of the dramatic situations. The psychological reactions of the characters do not seem too typical, which is also good as it gave the material some unexpected surprises. However, the central performances of Swank and Rossum were so effective that empathetic audiences will be moved, maybe even to tears.

This movie brought me to tears.

Our mother does not have ALS but very similar symptoms and she can not eat orally and has no skull bone in one part of her head, but to anyone suffering or caring for a loved one with ALS or does not understand the gravity of ALS, this movie is a must see.

This movies educates people, to some extent, about ALS and its destructiveness but also the hardships of caring for an individual with a crippling disease and what you can do to help an individual through music or swimming or just trying to do normal things like go out.

Brilliant acting on the path of both Hilary Swank and Emmy Rossum.

It's been a long time since I saw a movie that has moved me, the way this one did.

You're Not You (2014)

This is a straight forward drama, and an intense one. There are two main characters who are meant to be opposites in most ways. Kate (Hilary Swank) is wealthy, a successful classical musician, well mannered, and surrounded by friends. Bec (Emily Rossum) is struggling in every way: her half-finished folk-rock songs, her iffy friends, her bills, and her who-cares attitude. It's given from the get-go they will meet, and with the doubts of Kate's kindly handsome husband, Bec begins homecare for Kate, who is diagnosed early in the movie with ALS.

So this is really a story of a privileged woman learning about true friendship and caring, shorn of niceties. And of a troubled woman learning she has real worth and can actually contribute in a way that makes her grow. The two are never quite friends—there are things they just don't know about each other, and communication becomes harder through time— but they are absolutely devoted and bound to each other. This is beautiful and truly moving by the end. Tearjerker alert.

This is also a story about ALS, and how to cope, and how maybe to understand what people might need who are dying slowly of this disease—or any other progressively degrading illness. This too is difficult to watch.

Swank is terrific, and scary in her ability to be that victim just when life is all roses. Rossum comes off at first as not believable. Her antics and extreme disregard for things (the blender scene, for those who have seen it) are planted in the movie to make a point, and it almost made me move on. But hang in there! After half an hour the real movie begins, if you will, and the acting and writing all rise a level up.

It must be said that the husband plays an ongoing role here, and also a believable one. He is truly caring and tender, but also flawed. And so you see everyone has flaws, including Kate, who recognizes them in herself as much as others. Which gives it all the nuancing this movie needed to work.

It works. It isn't a surprising, twisting, drama by any stretch. Rather, it settles into telling us about a part of our real world with sensitive, beautiful detail.

This film tells the story of a woman in her time of her life, whose life is turned upside down when she notices tenors of her hand. The next thing she knows, she is battling the steadily progressive and irreversible disease of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

While the ice bucket challenge raises superficial awareness towards ALS, "You're Not You" really tells people what it is like to have a motor neurone disease. Hilary Swank acts with terrific realism in this film, even down to the changing quality of her voice. The plot is super moving, I lost count the number of times my eyes tear up. To me it's a bit of mystery why she gives Bec a chance to nurse her, but it's very refreshing to see that they strike up an unlikely but deep and lasting friendship that us based on mutual respect and trust. I really enjoyed watching this film.

"You wanna die and you know that I won't let you" Kate (Swank) has the perfect life. She is a classical pianist with a loving husband. One day she notices something strange happening to her, when she is diagnosed with ALS her life is changed. After burning through caregivers she hires Bec (Rossum). This simple hire does more for both of them than they could have imagined. This is simply a great movie. I had trouble trying to figure out why Hilary Swank didn't get nominated for this. That aside the movie is tremendously emotional and full of heart. The movie will make you angry, happy and cry, sometimes at the same time. Rossum also does a fantastic job in this. This is not a movie that makes you feel sorry for Kate, even though you do. This movie gives hope and happiness to not only those suffering from the disease but also the care givers to those helping. I can not say enough about this and I recommend this. Overall, a great movie that Swank should have gotten more recognition for. Watch this. I give it an A-.