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"Awakenings"


“Awakenings” a THEWIDESCREEN review 
thoughts after the jump. 


We miss you Robin Williams. Man what a trip this movie. I had such bad memories from this film I think they tried showing it to us in class once and I just remembered it was about sick people in the hospital. But let me tell you this thing is a masterpiece. It’s writen by the great Steve Zailan, writer of “HBO’s “The NIght Of” and Shindler’s List, among others, and directed by Garry Marshall’s sister, Penny Marshall from Laverne and Shirley. It’s got superb acting by Robin Williams who always handles comedy and drama so well, and BOBBY DENIRO who got an oscar nomination for his performance in this film, the oscar nom was the first time he had been nominated by the academy in almost 15 years since Ragin Bull in the 80s. He didn’t win. 


The plot is great stuff. The problem is catatonic states. Deniro and company are completely inmobile, can’t speak can’t move they can’t even talk. Their faces are warpped and contourted and they have no quality of life. 

That is until Robin William’s character discovers the magical solution powers of L- dopa, a drug used for Parkinsons that brings life back  to the catatonic patients. Now Deniro starts to slowly come to life, "el despertar"  he starts to speak and dance and get into women and eat ice cream and they go to the beach, this is a man that was in a wheelchair just an act break before, and they “awaken” hence the title of the film. 
but……..
the effects of the L- Dopa start to wear off……. 


Deniro starts to become inmobilized again, his face regains the contortions and ticks, until he can’t read again because his eyes dart from side to side…. The movie ends on a sad note the effects of the L-Dopa wear off and they never are able to reproduce the effects again they remain in the catatonic state and the movie ends. Kinda sad. 
But it’s a triangle . Sleep. Awake. Sleep.


This movie made us check out Robin Williams last work before he died, the CBS sitcom “The Crazy Ones” we watched it, it’s pretty terrible, Roby seems frail and thin and maybe if they hadn’t canceled his show he wouldn’t have commited suicide but that’s another story.
Look out for some Mork and Mindy reviews to come next week as we revisit Robin William’s career. 

Grade: 16:9 Widescreen. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAz-prw_W2A

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