You're Not You feels like a film that should begin with a ''based on a true story'' line.
YOU'RE NOT YOU
Director: George C. Wolfe
Cast: Hillary Swank, Emmy Rossum, Josh Duhamel, Loretta Devince, Ali Larter, Jason Ritter, Marcia Gay Harden
Rating: (M)
Two and a half stars (out of five)
That at least would give you a sense that the formulaic storytelling was leading somewhere meaningful.
Kate (Hillary Swank) and Evan (Josh Duhamel) are in their mid-30s and happily married.
As a classical pianist, Kate begins to notice that things are a little strange with her muscular control.
Diagnosed with ALS, the couple are searching for home help when Bec (Emmy Rossum) arrives for an interview.
A cliched character if ever there was one, Bec exists on a diet of tequila shots and one-night stands and wouldn't be your first choice for the job (or even your 100th).
But in the quirky way that only film scripts can, Kate decides to give Bec the job.
So, the big question is, will Bec turn out to be a diamond in the rough and can the two women find enough common ground to bond their disparate personalities?
Of course they will.
Once the film gets through the awkward exposition phase, the core of the narrative actually flows pretty well.
Bec gets to learn a whole lot of life lessons and Kate gets to spend her last days free from a stifling upper-class background.
Unfortunately, the laboured exposition, clunky cliches and forced melodrama only distract from another very convincing performance by Hillary Swank.
With a finale that's overly engineered for tears, You're Not You will have wary cinemagoers groaning out loud, while those seeking a story about a sensitive subject with nothing too challenging might lap it up.
- Mark Orton
