Friday, August 15, 2014

Begin Again and Depression

 Hey all you blog reading people on the internet, I'm TheCinemaChick! You know and possibly love me as the girl who sees way too many movies and then reports back to you. I know I've been gone for a while, but please forgive me. I was rather sick for a while and couldn't even get out of bed. Also, my brother and his family will be moving far away soon so I've been trying to see them as much as possible before they leave. And on top of that...well, I trust you guys enough to say this. When MovieMomma passed away, she was cremated and I plan to scatter them over water somewhere, like the ocean. Well, due to scheduling, financial issues and general disagreements on what she wanted, my brother and I have yet to say our final goodbyes. So...as of now...I am caring for MovieMomma's ashes.

It hit me hard when I received them. It was like another reminder that she's gone, so I was incredibly depressed for several days. I took about two days off to just cry and think about her.

Other than that, things are going quite well. My dog is happy and healthy, which is good because he had some issues for a while but he's over them. I'm pretty sure you don't really care about me just going on and on about my personal life. No, you're here for the movies! Of course, how silly of me.

So, I just counted and there are seven reviews that will be done today and tomorrow. I would knock them all out today but tonight, Fry and I are going to see “Into The Storm”. She thinks it'll be good but I'm only so -so on it. It looks ok, nothing special. We might be joined by my Other Mother, and no, not like the one in Coraline. Fry's family has become like a second family to me over the years. Her mother looks out for me, so she's like another mother for me, hence why I call her my Other Mother. Seriously, I don't know what I would have done without them. They've helped me out in so many bad situations. I will never be able to repay all the kindness they've shown me in the past ten years.

Once again, off topic!

Let's discuss a little known film called “Begin Again”. It's had minimal advertising and it quietly started in theaters a little over two weeks ago. It's nothing special, just another love story with music mixed in. The story itself I didn't care for. The characters were just okay, nothing terribly memorable. I take that back. At one point, Adam Levine sports a massive beard that just looks awful on him. It's like he's an Amish greaser or something. Let that image soak into your mind for a while. An Amish greaser.

It's a typical story, boy gets famous, boy cheats on girl, girl leaves, girl gets over it and becomes independent. Like I said, its nothing new or even interesting. What does help is that Mark Ruffalo is an alcoholic music producer who stumbles upon Keira Knightley at a bar and begins making music with her. And in case you're wondering, that is not a euphemism for anything. However, as they cannot afford a studio to record a demo, they just record wherever they can. One song is done in an alley, another one in some boats, one on a roof, you get the idea. And the music isn't even that original either. But it's got something in there that I have to admit, I really liked.

The songs themselves are quite catchy, especially “Lost Stars” whether you choose the remix or original. Both Knightley and Levine sing a version of it, which makes an interesting comparison. Both renditions are equally amazing in their own right, I will admit. I wish there was something more to the story because then it would have blown me away. My favorite character was Mark Ruffalo's purely because he was just a cranky older guy who liked bossing people around. He wasn't an annoying lovesick person who wanted to redeem themselves. Don't get me wrong, everything works out perfectly in the end. I take that back, because the main characters are left on a very vague note. It's never state if they get back together. She releases the album online but after that, the film ends. So its possible they never, ever, ever got back together. And yes, I did use a Taylor Swift song there.

“Begin Again” isn't for everyone. It's a good movie to watch with your girlfriends. Adam Levine looks good as always, even if he does look terrible with that beard. The songs are catchy and many of them did end up on my spotify play list. It's not for everyone but once you see it, you'll probably a way to find it sneak into your movie collection.





I'm going to end that review on a short note because I've been at a loss for words for a few days. As you all know, Robin Williams tragically passed away. His death was a suicide. I started to write something about his career and how it affected me, but I managed about five paragraphs before I stopped. I, like many people out there, am stunned. I have trouble believing this happened. It was very shocking, very sudden. The funniest man many of us grew up with is now gone. It's almost as if an era has ended. Many of us will never forget him in “Mrs. Doubtfire”, Genie in “Aladdin” and “Hook”.

I had another upsetting event taking place at the same time so losing an actor I highly admired just came at me like a blow to the chest. I knew he had struggled with addiction in the past, he'd battled depression but I thought he was doing just fine. However, this goes to show, you can never know what a person is thinking.

Everyone, depression isn't something that just goes away overnight. You can't just throw a pill at it and deem a person cured. It's a daily war with yourself and sometimes, you lose. I'm not saying everyone with depression will attempt suicide. However, it's harder to live. Normal, every day activities are suddenly uninteresting, friends become enemies for no real reason and sometimes, food might as well be sandpaper. It's hard to function. Getting out of bed might be a huge victory on some of the worse days.

I have been living with severe depression for about half my life. I know how hard it can be to just smile or find a shred of happiness. I also know that pills don't solve everything. In my case, there are certain drugs that increase my negative symptoms. Currently, I take a pill that works but its only a matter of time until I build up a tolerance to that as well. This is why not everyone can take medication and fix the problem. There are so many little aspects to it. For instance, don't criticize someone who does struggle with depression. Telling them to just get over it won't help. It makes them feel like having a mental disorder is their fault, which places a lot of guilt on them.

There are people who are willing to listen and to help. I am one of them, if you wish to remain anonymous. I know where you're coming from and I don't want to lose anyone else to depression and suicide.

Please, if you are feeling suicidal, call someone. Whether its a help hotline, a friend or a family member, just remember that you are loved. I'm reminded of another great man, another man I admired, who also committed suicide, and these words ring true, no matter what the occasion. So whenever you feel like you don't deserve to live or that someone would be happier if you were dead or if you just think you are stupid and unloved, please, please, PLEASE, remember these words:

You know what?
I want you all to look at me.
I want you to look at me because what I'm about to say is important
I been thinking about this a lot lately and I want y'all to know this
This goes out to everybody.
You're not stupid.
Ok?
You're not stupid.
Don't ever tell yourself you are.
You're important.
What you have in your head may not mean a lot to a lot of people but that's what makes you special
You are important.
You are special
You mean something
You're going to go out there and do wonderful things.
But first and foremost, you're not stupid
You're not an idiot.
Don't ever tell yourself you are.
And if nobody else ever tells you this, I care about you.

Those words came from Justin “JewWario” Carmichal, a contributor to Channel Awesome.

If you don't believe me, then let Nash (also from Channel Awesome) explain depression: (strong language warning)





I'm TheCinemaChick and you are never truly alone.  I'm always here for those who need me.

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