STORYLINE: In a forgotten patch of countryside, a woman is battling her demons: embracing exclusion yet wanting to belong, craving freedom whilst feeling trapped, yearning for family life but wanting to burn the entire house down. Given surprising leeway by her family for her increasingly erratic behavior, she nevertheless feels ever more stifled and repressed. Motherhood, womanhood, the banality of love, the terrors of desire, the brutality of another person carrying your heart forever. (IMDb) 

    Throughout the years, and across many films, mental illness has seen many portrayals. The Oscar winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) is the staple film, about mental illness.  The variety of films about the topic include A BeautifulMibf (2001), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Infinitely Polar Bear (2014), and Still Alice (2014).  Now, Die My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, makes its debut in theaters. 

    Die My Love thrusts a lot on its central character, Grace (Jennifer Lawrence).  Alcoholism, being isolated, postpartum, and general depression is a huge burden, and the character has them all wrapped together throughout the feature. This created an often uncomfortable film to watch. Uncomfortable to watch is good, because it challenges me, and can being challenged expand my view on issues.

   Die My Love is a disjointed film.  That is the point though.  Mental illness disrupts one’s life.  The problem with the film is it is to be disjointed. Die My Love is not hard to follow, it has tackled to many issues.  Had the film reduced the issues within its story by one or two it would of been able to give more attention to the other mental issues in the film.  Being able to properly address fewer mental issues would have made for an incredibly powerful film, especially for the non linear structure of the story.

    The potential of Die My Love was there, it fell short of its mark.

    Until next time I will see you at the movies!