My Review -
Ruby's Choice
My Rating 7.5/10
I found this movie a very entertaining intelligent and refreshing insight into a many of the ordinary everyday problems that many Australian families are experiencing in the 21st Century even including a hilarious response from Ruby which I must remember next time I get one of those intrusive scam phone calls that try to tap in to our internet.
Primarily the topic of Ruby's increasing dementia and the effects on her life and her families life are at the core of this film but there are many more layers to it.
Ruby is so effectively and sensitively played by actress Jane Seymour who said she was channeling her own mother for the role and was reminded of her own mother's battle with Alzheimer's.
It's not a big budget blockbuster or a paced moving movie but it's honest to the core.
Jane Seymour who's movie and television career spans well over 50 years is also a skilled painter and jewellery designer .
In fact she painted all her own artwork in the movie Not only that she even provided her own wardrobe which features a red felt hat and red ruby feathered pendant which is symbolic to her of her own mother plus it's also from her own exclusive jewellery collection.
It's great to see an established award winning actress generously give equal screen time in a movie to shine a light on newer talent .
Coco Jack Gillies who plays Ruby's Granddaughter Tash has some of the best moments for me in this film and is an actress I haven't seen before but will watch out for . Natasha or Tash is reluctantly at first assigned to care for her much loved Grandmother and in doing so discovers a history that she was never aware of before .They make a great team and have fun even in adversity when it's obvious to Tash before anyone else that Ruby's grasp on reality is fading fast.
The rest of the ensemble cast that make up this family are excellent also Jacqueline McKenzie as Ruby's daughter who finds it difficult to admit that her mother is falling into dementia as well as Stephen Hunter as Doug her husband with a penchant for junk collecting.
The movie is about the ordinary everyday problems like dysfunctional relatives temporarily moving in , retrenchment, balancing a budget on a shrinking income plus emotional revelations that would be hard for any family to cope with but they do so with a spirit of acceptance and a sense of humour.
Director Michael Budd and writer Paul Mahoney have managed to tackle an often depressing subject that needs exposure with reality and dignity.
This family at the conclusion of the film all know each other in a better way and are all better off for having Ruby in their lives and for the choice that Ruby makes.
If any message can be taken from the story it is that the minds of elderly people with dementia may be severely handicapped by their illness but it mustn't diminish their life experience and their humanity
It was encouraging to know that this film that was funded by the Glenn Family Foundation, will donate 50% of profits to the Dementia Foundation for Spark for Life, which aims to bring back the spark of life back into the lives of people with dementia through the Dementia Care International's innovative Model of Care.
Go and find out what Ruby's Choice was ? I think you'll enjoy it.
