15 Park Avenue
Nov. 20th, 2009 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acoustics1220For those that understand what it is to be affected by Schizophrenia (and not the one actually diagnosed) but have seen or felt the affects of it on a loved one, I have a movie recommendation for you.
I watched this movie yesterday, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. I was captivated. On Hulu, it's a movie available to watch in it's entirety with only a few short commercial breaks. 15 Park Avenue.
I have to recommend this because for one, I've mentioned before that my family is affected with all the illnesses known to man. Mental illness, diseases, cancer, anything and everything out there-my family has been affected by it. About a year ago, my mother was taking care of her Schizophrenic sister. Paranoid Schizophrenic sister. Things got pretty interesting at our house on occasion, and that's putting it very mildly.
This movie really illustrates how Schizophrenia is so debilitating to a family, and how not only the person that's diagnosed with it is affected, but how it affects all the loved ones around them that fall victim to it as well.
It's based in 'modern day India'. So, it's a full Middle Eastern cast that have an amazing set of actors that did this film. I checked out IMDB about the movie, and you'll understand why, but in all honesty you must must must see the movie in it's entirety, and possibly a second and third time, before you go to the IMDB page see how I'm not linking to it??. Watch the movie.
Now, for those that have seen the movie, I was truly intrigued by not the main character, the diagnosed character, but by her sister, Anu. You'll understand why, after you've watched the movie, and after deciding how you conclude the movie, and possibly before reading others reviews of this amazing movie. For those still reading that haven't seen the movie, pay attention to every detail.And stop reading NOW.
**********************************************
For those that have watched it, or are in the least bit interested to know my opinion.
I'm not set on what I've decided the ending is, but here's what I have so far.
Anu and Meethi are indeed real sisters, Meethi was ill and actually died after cutting her wrists when Anu told her to go to bed. Anu is so guilt ridden and heavy hearted at not believing her sister that she breaks down and has such a severe mental break down that she reveals Schizophrenic symptoms as is diagnosed as such. Because this was such a traumatic event, Meethi is still alive to Anu, and Anu must help Meethi find her family, the 5 children and husband on 15 Park Avenue. This mental break down was so severe, and Anu's family couldn't take seeing her suffer in such a way that they get the doctor to start treating Anu.
Dr. Kunal is an intriguing character. He who mentions a wife, yet goes on a vacation by himself, yet decides to visit for lunch with Anu's family, and somehow becomes enamored by Anu...And Anu also has her own boyfriend who repeatedly offers to take her away, begs her to vacation with him to get a break,...Many many question marks with Anu.
Also, who noticed the restaurant scenes? Where Anu and Kunal are talking and he asks what she sees at the empty table behind them, what do you see? Who's reality is real, and who's is not???
Here is a detailed and well thought out post of the movie. I go with interpretation 2.
Now, after going through that post - what's your opinion? I'd love to discuss the movie, technical issues, the understand of Schizophrenia - whatever you may be interested in, I'd really love to discuss it with whomever. Mental illness has been such a 'Don't mention' topic that even now it's hard to bring up without feeling that taboo heaviness in your gut or wanting to avoid each others eyes because of some shame that isn't necessary or fair. It affects everyone, and it shouldn't be something we're ashamed of, now though I'm really interested in seeing Devrai. The movie mentioned in the review I linked to above.
It would make sense though, picking any of those interpretations: I feel that Meethi really was the younger sister, and she committed suicide by slitting her wrists, and Anu/Anjalu felt so guilty, not only for not realizing what could happen, but for possibly being the cause, and for not believing Meethi about the witch doctor, that she lost her own mental balance and had this great alternate universe where Meethi finds 15 Park Avenue, her 5 children, the 2 dogs and Joyjoy, her husband waiting for her in their mansion.
Meethi couldn't have just disappeared into thin air, either she really died from suicide, or Anu was hallucinating from the start and people in her real life made appearances in her alternate world. I just can't get over the scene in the restaurant(!!!) the vase with the flower, or is it a lamp??
And at the end, Dr. Kunal is walking Anu out of the picture at the bottom, as if she's the patient. And you see him go to house # 15, knock on the door, and someone unknown to the audience answers the door, walks out to the curb, and just goes back in. "But she couldn't have just disappeared", he says. And he's speaks to Anu quietly, touching her upper arm, and then leading her out by her elbow...as if she's the one he's looking after. What's even more haunting though? Her voice. I was listening at the end, and we've seen Meethi repeatedly go up to others and ask '15 Park Avenue, do you know where it is? No, no, not Palm Avenue, I know where Palm Avenue is, I mean Park Avenue." Anu's voice at the end is near hysteria. So like Meethi's. She sounded so much like Meethi in those final moment that it started the wheels in my brain and now all I'm thinking is, what did the director see at the end? What's her interpretation?
:)
For those of you that cheated, shame shame shame!
Review 1
Review 2
Review 3
Review 4
Review 5
Review 6
I watched this movie yesterday, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. I was captivated. On Hulu, it's a movie available to watch in it's entirety with only a few short commercial breaks. 15 Park Avenue.
I have to recommend this because for one, I've mentioned before that my family is affected with all the illnesses known to man. Mental illness, diseases, cancer, anything and everything out there-my family has been affected by it. About a year ago, my mother was taking care of her Schizophrenic sister. Paranoid Schizophrenic sister. Things got pretty interesting at our house on occasion, and that's putting it very mildly.
This movie really illustrates how Schizophrenia is so debilitating to a family, and how not only the person that's diagnosed with it is affected, but how it affects all the loved ones around them that fall victim to it as well.
It's based in 'modern day India'. So, it's a full Middle Eastern cast that have an amazing set of actors that did this film. I checked out IMDB about the movie, and you'll understand why, but in all honesty you must must must see the movie in it's entirety, and possibly a second and third time, before you go to the IMDB page see how I'm not linking to it??. Watch the movie.
Now, for those that have seen the movie, I was truly intrigued by not the main character, the diagnosed character, but by her sister, Anu. You'll understand why, after you've watched the movie, and after deciding how you conclude the movie, and possibly before reading others reviews of this amazing movie. For those still reading that haven't seen the movie, pay attention to every detail.
For those that have watched it, or are in the least bit interested to know my opinion.
I'm not set on what I've decided the ending is, but here's what I have so far.
Anu and Meethi are indeed real sisters, Meethi was ill and actually died after cutting her wrists when Anu told her to go to bed. Anu is so guilt ridden and heavy hearted at not believing her sister that she breaks down and has such a severe mental break down that she reveals Schizophrenic symptoms as is diagnosed as such. Because this was such a traumatic event, Meethi is still alive to Anu, and Anu must help Meethi find her family, the 5 children and husband on 15 Park Avenue. This mental break down was so severe, and Anu's family couldn't take seeing her suffer in such a way that they get the doctor to start treating Anu.
Dr. Kunal is an intriguing character. He who mentions a wife, yet goes on a vacation by himself, yet decides to visit for lunch with Anu's family, and somehow becomes enamored by Anu...And Anu also has her own boyfriend who repeatedly offers to take her away, begs her to vacation with him to get a break,...Many many question marks with Anu.
Also, who noticed the restaurant scenes? Where Anu and Kunal are talking and he asks what she sees at the empty table behind them, what do you see? Who's reality is real, and who's is not???
Here is a detailed and well thought out post of the movie. I go with interpretation 2.
Now, after going through that post - what's your opinion? I'd love to discuss the movie, technical issues, the understand of Schizophrenia - whatever you may be interested in, I'd really love to discuss it with whomever. Mental illness has been such a 'Don't mention' topic that even now it's hard to bring up without feeling that taboo heaviness in your gut or wanting to avoid each others eyes because of some shame that isn't necessary or fair. It affects everyone, and it shouldn't be something we're ashamed of, now though I'm really interested in seeing Devrai. The movie mentioned in the review I linked to above.
It would make sense though, picking any of those interpretations: I feel that Meethi really was the younger sister, and she committed suicide by slitting her wrists, and Anu/Anjalu felt so guilty, not only for not realizing what could happen, but for possibly being the cause, and for not believing Meethi about the witch doctor, that she lost her own mental balance and had this great alternate universe where Meethi finds 15 Park Avenue, her 5 children, the 2 dogs and Joyjoy, her husband waiting for her in their mansion.
Meethi couldn't have just disappeared into thin air, either she really died from suicide, or Anu was hallucinating from the start and people in her real life made appearances in her alternate world. I just can't get over the scene in the restaurant(!!!) the vase with the flower, or is it a lamp??
And at the end, Dr. Kunal is walking Anu out of the picture at the bottom, as if she's the patient. And you see him go to house # 15, knock on the door, and someone unknown to the audience answers the door, walks out to the curb, and just goes back in. "But she couldn't have just disappeared", he says. And he's speaks to Anu quietly, touching her upper arm, and then leading her out by her elbow...as if she's the one he's looking after. What's even more haunting though? Her voice. I was listening at the end, and we've seen Meethi repeatedly go up to others and ask '15 Park Avenue, do you know where it is? No, no, not Palm Avenue, I know where Palm Avenue is, I mean Park Avenue." Anu's voice at the end is near hysteria. So like Meethi's. She sounded so much like Meethi in those final moment that it started the wheels in my brain and now all I'm thinking is, what did the director see at the end? What's her interpretation?
:)
For those of you that cheated, shame shame shame!
Review 1
Review 2
Review 3
Review 4
Review 5
Review 6
