Dementia (2015)

Please don't spend money on this.

Beautiful, moving film.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Other Reviewers on the IMDb Site have pointed out that during a Crucial Scene near the End, a Sound Editing Problem Exists that is Unfathomable. The Music Swells to completely Drown Out the Dialog between Characters and it leaves Unanswered Questions and a Frustration that can't be ignored. It's only One Scene but it's a Critical Scene and is Unacceptable. Other than that bit of Clumsiness, the Movie is a Good Psychological Thriller that is Well Acted and Staged. Some Gruesome Horror and Tense Situations make for an Unsettling Uncovering of what's going on in the Mind of an Elderly Man (Gene Jones) and His Live-In-Nurse (Kristina Klebe). There's some Fine Back Up Performances from Hassie Harrison and Jerry Lockhart and both Add to the Edgy Excitement. The Denouement is both Predictable and somewhat Surprising and the Film is Finely Photographed Overall, Worth a Watch for Fans of Thrillers and Indie Cinema.

Sometimes I wonder when I read reviews here if anyone actually even enjoys movies anymore or if everyone is, as Beckett would lovingly call, a CRRRRITIC (a "critic" for those of you who have not read Waiting for Godot). Waiting, however, seems to be a virtue of the past.Honestly, the biggest criticism should be that this movie was erroneously marketed as a horror movie when it is actually a psychological thriller.Dementia is a slow burn that first and foremost is anchored by two outstanding performances by veteran actor Gene Jones (The Sacrament & No Country For Old Men) and sadly far too unknown character actress Kristina Klebe (Rob Zombie's Halloween & Proxy). The supporting cast is equally talented and Steve Agee is hilarious in his appearance. As a New Yorker, I take a NY Times Review and especially a critic's pic very seriously. And I was not wrong to trust the Times on this one. I recommend this movie if you enjoy refreshing, truth-based performances, layered characters and a good story that keeps you on your feet from beginning to end.*The only reason I gave this a 9 is because there is a strange sound mix issue in the last 5 minutes that made hearing some of the last scene difficult - I hope they fix this.

"Keeping him calm, will keep him alive." Everything was there to turn this into a horrible and unnerving horror. How terrifying is it for someone who's helplessly caught in a life-threatening situation and knowing it's impossible to escape from. No possibility to ask someone for help. No ability to save yourself. Both because you are physically limited and there's someone who makes this impossible anyway. Films about forced imprisonment are countless. From "The seasoning house" and "Mysery" to "Room" recently. The reason of detention varies from film to film. You can't say this genre films is saturated. That's a bit exaggerated. Unfortunately the theme used in "Dementia", isn't really realistic sometimes. The fact that someone suffers from dementia and is trapped in his own psychological consciousness, is scarier than what is shown here.Especially the acting of Gene Jones catches the eye. In a brilliant way he shows the various characteristics of George. On the one hand a surly man who carries a heavy burden of his past. The unbearable memories of his captivity where he was subjected to inhuman tortures. After he returned this experience was the basis for his alcohol problem, which resulted in domestic violence and terror. On the other hand, we see the chastened former alcoholic, who tries to clear things up and rectify what he has done wrong in the past. There are timid attempts to restore the broken family band with his son Jerry (Peter Cilella) and seeks a rapprochement as the father he wasn't. Also, he finally gets to know his granddaughter Shelby (Hassie Harrison), who knows nothing about her grandfather's past. Jones shows George's range of moods brilliantly. One moment we see an unruly wiseacre who's waving around with a shotgun. The next moment he reacts very aggressively because he doesn't recognize his granddaughter. But the moments George looks helpless and vulnerable, made the biggest impression.But this is by far the most positive thing I could say about "Dementia". There is indeed a tense atmosphere at times but it's never really creepy or eerie so to speak. Michelle (Kristina Klebe) has a kind of schizophrenic personality and reacts fairly hysterical, but the predictability of the story undermines this a little bit. And there are also some facts that seem pretty stupid. The way Michelle is appointed, is completely ridiculous. I would never give a total stranger the task to take care of my father, even if I don't care much about him anymore due to his behavior in the past, without asking some information about this person. A simple inquiry at the hospital where she works, was enough. And when that person addresses me in a rude and aggressive way, I'd sack her promptly. Obviously George's past and the diagnosis of dementia counts against him.The makers succeeded in putting the film on the screen in a solid way, by using for example the fuzzy images as a suggestion of George's mental state and the eerie flashbacks. This combined with the excellent acting, made sure it remained a fascinating film all in all. The only flaw here, is the fact that you can guess the outcome in about 30 minutes. Thus there's no need for guessing anymore. Or George's mental state really deteriorates and he could become a danger to his environment or Michelle has other sinister plans concerning this elderly man. Take your pick.More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

I had high hopes for this one, based on the casting alone. Gene Jones was pretty terrific in Ti West's so-so "The Sacrament," and Kristina Klebe knocked a small but vital role out of the park in Zack Parker's stark and disturbing "Proxy".Jones plays a Vietnam Vet who's had a stroke and Klebe is the home health care nurse assigned to his case. But it's painfully obvious that this nurse has a special fascination with, well, pain, as in seeing it inflicted.The concept of a helpless person being tormented by a sinister "care giver" is not exactly a new one. By itself, it's squirm-inducing and one of the best examples I remember seeing is the Spanish 1986 thriller In a Glass Cage about a paralyzed Nazi pedophile tortured by one of his former victims. These films aren't pleasant to sit through, in general, so they require a pretty damn good story and good performances to chew on.It's a shame that DP Mike Testin's first directorial outing has such a clunker of a script (written by Meredith Berg - whose only others credits are a short and "Lana Steele: Makeup Spy"). It takes no brains at all to figure out who Nurse Michelle (Klebe) is, why she's at George's house and even how she found him --- all in about 20 minutes. There is virtually no suspense or any tension for the rest of the film.While Jones gives the role his all, and is very convincing playing a basically unlikable character (in all fairness, I did admire how the script never backed down and soft-pedaled his PTSD raging), Klebe's performance is so unhinged and over-the-top (she twists the head off a Barbie in a check-out line, if you can believe that --- why not just hang a sign around her neck with a prescription for Thorazine attached?) that it borders on comic. I really don't think she had much to play. If so, it wasn't apparent from what got to the screen.What is obviously in Berg's resume is the Nancy Drew style sleuthing that George's granddaughter Shelby (Hassie Harrison) gets up to, but this isn't handled with any suspense or flair either. It's very TV- like in pace and dialog. Harrison does well, but she isn't given much depth to portray either.The lack of suspense is really what kills this one. Mark it Do Not Resuscitate and move on.Note: For a far more realistic horror film on the realities of living with Dementia, see "The Sideways Light". No plot gimmicks or SFX apply here. The truth is horrific enough.