Change Your Image
LanaH25
Reviews
Welcome to Marwen (2018)
A slap in the face to real tbi survivors
I find it hard to stomach that this film is allegedly based on the true story of a tbi, traumatic brain injury, survivor. First off, I feel compelled to point out that ptsd and tbis are not one in the same. Sadly it is common that these two horrible afflictions tend accompany one another, they are mutually exclusive. Many of these reviews seem to conjoin the two. My father suffered a tbi, and there was nothing fun or cute about it. The effect it has on the victim and their loved ones is very real and quite excruciating:
This film almost sensationalizes something that desperately needs legitimate attention. This is a unique condition in that many millions suffer from. Often times they look completely normal on the outside. Inside, however, it's unbearable pain and suffering that's literally debilitating and lonely. Your memories, your normal day to day tasks that most of us take for granted are compromised in a very real way. In Welcome to Marwen, it's like they took Forrest Gump and added him to the cast of Toy Story, a fun concept but not an honest depiction of a real tbi survivor. Steve Carell is entertaining, but this is not the movie I wanted to see him in.
If any of you want to see a film based on the true story of a tbi survivor that's actually authentic, check out Every 21 Seconds starring Shannon Brown. Brown's portrayal of a tbi survivor is quite powerful and eerily authentic. I honestly felt like I was watching my father on the screen, just a brilliant performance. Brown's character was also brutally attacked which resulted in his tbi. The director and producer took this true story seriously and gave it the respect and authenticity it deserves. I understand that Hollywood likes to appeal to the masses, but this subject matter deserves a more authentic depiction regardless of how uncomfortable the truth may be.
Every 21 Seconds (2018)
Powerfully authentic
I ordered this on DVD and was a bit nervous to watch it. My father suffered from a tbi. I'd seen a couple movies about tbi in the past and I was left feeling more annoyed than anything else. They seemed to gloss over this affliction, even sugar coating it at times. This film certainly did not do that. You could tell that they were very familiar with the terrible effect that tbis can have, not only on the victims, but their loved ones as well.
The main character, played by Shannon Brown, seemed eerily familiar to me. His portrayal of a tbi survivor was uncomfortably real. There were many times that I saw my father on the screen. This was one of the best performances I've ever seen in any movie period. The actress who plays his wife, Kelly Thuebaud, says the line "he goes from zero to nuclear with no warning" and that's a honest way to describe someone suffering from a tbi and you see and feel that in Mr. Brown's performance. Ms. Thiebaud was also very good in this. I felt her pain and despair which is exactly what me and mother experienced with my father.
I am grateful that this movie exists. It's hard to put into words how devastating a tbi can be on someone and their loved ones, this film illustrates just that in a powerfully authentic way.