Hey readers. Sorry it's been awhile since I last updated this blog. Been busy with my new blog, go check it out. It's about my experience of moving to a rural part of my country. Well that's enough plugging. Today I want to check out a movie which I had the good fortune of watching on one of those channel surfing sessions during a sleepless night. The movie is Awakenings, adapted from the memoirs of the renowned neurologist Dr Oliver Sacks (portrayed in this movie by Robin Williams, yes, THAT Robin Williams), detailing his discovery of the ability of a drug which was initially used to treat parkinson's disease patients to also revive catatonic patients who were in a long-term coma after succumbing to a pandemic in the 1920's. The movie details his subsequent experience with the revived patients and their readjustment to modern society; specifically his relationship with one difficult patient; played by the great Robert De Niro.
Right off the bat I want to talk about the performance of the two leads, the selling point of this movie. Robin Williams, in a then rare dramatic role for him, ditched and reined in his comedic talents for this movie to play a different game altogether, to portray a very down-to-earth scientific man who is also uneasy around people. He also played his role with a tinge of sadness that is befitting the role in the context of the movie. Admittedly, I don't know much about the real Oliver Sacks, but his character in the movie reflects the sadness that is felt by the revived patients, the knowledge that the world has changed and left them behind in a mental hospital, the sadness that their youth had been wasted lying on a bed. You feel sorry for the good doctor, even though he isn't one of the patients.
Robert De Niro's performance as one of the awakened patients; Leonard is equally great. Leonard is a diffcult person, and the frustration he feels at the restrictions placed by the hospital and researches on him is bordering on rage. And the 1990's De Niro is solid, and he gelled together with Robin WIlliams when they are in the same scene, never overshadowing one another and always complementing the other actor's performance.
So go catch this great movie and enjoy the performance. It makes you think about how precious life is and how much we take it for granted. And of course I've been holding out on the plot points so as not to spoil it for you.
The GOOD: Brilliant performance by the two leads
The BAD: Honestly I cant remember, not that there wasn't any, but it's been a long time since I last watched it so I dont remember the flaws of what is essentially a good movie
My VERDICT: this movie is a 7.5/10
TRIVIA: try and find a young Vin Diesel in this movie
