That Way Madness Lies...

A worthy documentary ---a story of real people and how things don't always get resolved in the way they want them to. The documentarian is the sister of a man who we see goes through the difficulties of mental illness. I would have liked to see more of the brother when he was rational, instead of just still photographs--maybe more specific stories of when he was healthy. We only see him in his irrational state (where he can seem calm and conversational). An interesting story of the difficulties a family goes through when one member becomes irrational.

Until you have a loved one who crashed on the rocks of society like this, you might never know what the deal is. This film is a harrowing account of an all-too-real situation of a family without the tools to manage a mental illness crisis. It could be any kind of trigger--addiction, brain chemistry, military service--none of these scenarios is well served by our medical and legal structures right now. Families without training or experience are adrift in this tempest. Here we get to watch the tempest unfold. I salute the filmmaker and her family for pulling back the curtain on this. I only wish it provided a road map for those who come next. But part of the point is--none exists. And that's the saddest knowledge that comes out of this.