[Movie Review] Alive Inside (2014)
Plot Summary: Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music's ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it.
Director: Michael Rossato-Bennett
Writer: Michael Rossato-Bennett
Runtime: 78 min
Main Cast:
- Dan Cohen as Himself
- Louise Dueno as Herself
- Nell Hardie as Herself
Review: by Lee
Going into watching Alive Inside, I only knew that it was a documentary that had something to do with the way music affects people. I recalled seeing a YouTube video that had been about the same thing, so I was interested.
Alive Inside was a documentary about the effects that music has on people. It followed the efforts of Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, as he fought to spread the word and gain support for his movement to bring personalized music to all residents in all 16,000 nursing homes in the nation.
What I Liked:
Alive Inside was a very moving film. It not only effectively conveyed its message about the tremendous efforts of Dan Cohen and his organization but also served as an amazing criticism of our broken healthcare system and dismal treatment of the elderly in this country. It was actually rather heartbreaking to see some of the residents talk about how no one visits them and about how much they still have to give if only someone wanted to receive them.
The most touching thing of all, however, was the effects of the music. Witnessing a person come to life the way the residents in the film did was momentous. As soon as the movie began, one of the first residents featured was a man named Henry, and I remembered vividly that the video I had seen on YouTube was about him. The video, also entitled “Alive Inside” was leaked footage from Michael Rossato-Bennett’s time spent following Dan Cohen. Apparently, the reaction that the general public had to that video was phenomenal and instrumental in turning the tides in Cohen’s efforts. That is just how mesmerizing and astounding Henry’s story was.
The film not only portrayed nursing home residents, however. Mr. Cohen and Mr. Rossato-Bennett also visited some individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The story of Mary Lou and watching her react to her music actually made me cry. It was so beautiful.
I also liked the bits of the documentary where Rossato-Bennett showed other people who use music in this way, apart from Dan Cohen. It was so interesting to learn some of the information they had to offer.
What I Didn’t Like:
There really wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy about Alive Inside. I’m not necessarily a documentary watcher, but how could I find something bad to say about it?
Summary
Alive Inside was a great film that was very inspiring, and I hope that it will spread its message far and wide.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
