A subject not talked about enough in cinema or otherwise: parenting "alone" with mental illness. Maura, a mother of two, is struggling to keep it together as a mental disorder inherited by her mother slowly creeps into her life during the toughest time in marriage, career, and motherhood. We watch as Maura rollercoasters through mania and depression, torn between her love of playing music -- something she shared with her late mother -- and being a mother herself. The medications would "dull it all" and Maura's refusal to take it was her way of feeling "something" and we see it was unfortuntely to her detriment when she decides to do something dangerous and unforgiveable.
Being a mother who struggles with mental illness and doing this all alone I can relate to this film a lot. I found Maura's life to be more priviledged than mine though since she had the suppport of her loving father to help her get better, but I still felt deeply connected. I never once blamed anyone for what unfolded. A teetering marriage certainly could have been a result of Maura's mental disorder and I felt that everyone did their best to help her, even Maura herself. I felt that everything that happened had to happen in order for Maura to find the courage to get better. It was a good film.
