Shis thsue: (Y ‘Essence’ art exhibit explores the energy of nature (¥Y Comic Corner: Bored to death... ( Cutting a classic back down to size And more! Seen something worth sharing? Contact: Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor Marts@theotherpress.ca www.theotherpress.ca Genuine portrayal of life with Alzheimer’s in ‘Still Alice’ » Julianne Moore gives a powerful performance Micaela Evans The Peak (Simon Fraser University) Su Alice, based on the best- selling novel of the same name by Lisa Genova, stars Julianne Moore as a 50-year- old linguistics professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Being diagnosed with this disease at such a young age is extremely rare, and the film follows her journey through the stages of the debilitating disease from the beginning of her symptoms to the eventual end of her ability to retain any recent memories. The disease begins with subtle signs: from a renowned linguist forgetting the word “lexicon” to forgetting what lecture she was meant to present, and then onto more complex memory loss as : time goes on. We watch as : she becomes lost in familiar : places, as she forgets names : and favourite desserts. Moore : presents us with a character : that resembles friends and : family members many of us : may have known or will know : during the course of our lives. Along the way, viewers : are presented with the harsh : realities that so many face when : diagnosed with this disease. : We witness the struggles : faced by her loving husband : (Alec Baldwin) and her three : children (Kristen Stewart, Kate : Bosworth, and Hunter Parrish). : Of particular importance is : her children’s struggle to face : the reality early on that they : each have a 50 per cent chance : of inheriting the disease, : and passing it along to their : children too. Whether or not : they choose to get tested and : learn the results isa choice they : : each must face individually. The movie does a good job : of portraying Alice in a genuine : manner. Moore has said in : : interviews that she spent a great : : deal of time around those with : Alzheimer’s to understand how : they feel and act in daily life, : and her research shows in her : performance throughout the : film. At times, the camera : work changes to show things : from her perspective—a little : out-of-focus and blurred in : some areas. As she progresses : through the disease, we witness : someone who was so strong in : her language skills transformed : to someone who depends on : her iPhone for constant note- : taking and reminders. Later on : inthe film, Alice breaks down : when the phone is lost, but is : unaware of its importance when : private moment in which she : devises a plan for her future self : : behind all the other characters’ : backs, and the harsh reality that : : comes from reading that plan : ina more advanced state of her : disease. : it is no longer in sight. We also bear witness toa : Still Alice is a powerful film : that is sure to impact those who : have been touched in some way by Alzheimer’s, and give those : who have not a glimpse into a reality they may never have : imagined before. Still Alice opens in : Vancouver on January 23. Shelf Indulgence: The undeniable pull of Julie Paul » ‘The Pull of the Moon’ book review Joshua Grant Senior Columnist OOOO picked up the short story collection The Pull of the Moon after hearing Julie Paul read part of “Squirrel People” at an event. | thought the story was funny, but Paul warned me that not all of the stories in the collection would be like that. I told her that was okay. The stories in The Pull of through funny-grim to outright harrowing, They are all good. In “Flip,” Claudia, the awkward, orally fixated librarian goes on vacation with a flirtatious co- worker. In “Squirrel People,” Dylan’s obnoxious neighbour makes him doubt his marriage, with a squirrel trap, a garden hose, and the mention of boudoir photos. You'll have to read it to find out. There are 12 : stories in this collection and : Paul’s range is astonishing. Equally astonishing is her : restraint. The stories feel tightly : wound, compact. The conflict, : whether slapstick or tragic, : always feels real. And it always : seems to work because Paul’s : characters feel so alive. She : demonstrates her ability to flesh : outa character in each story. In : first-, second-, and third-person, : Paul’s characters are so real you : can feel their pulse, their pains, : and their thrills. But since each : character is such a pleasure the Moon range from funny-sexy : to inhabit, I felt a real sadness : when I had to leave them after : ascant 20 pages. Some, I think, : feel good enough to deserve a : novel, which is not much of a : gripe at all. Between Paul’s range and : virtuosity, most readers will find : something to glom onto. Simply : put, this isa good collection of : short stories and well-worth a : read. Nintendo's flagship series in the palm of your hand » ‘Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS' video game review Alex Stanton Staff Writer OOOOS fithe two games that make player challenges, there is a : 3DS exclusive mode called : Smash Run. In it, you get : five minutes to run around : a side-scrolling open world version. However, Super Smash : area, defeating recognizable : monsters and collecting all : kinds of upgrades. Come five : minutes, you scrap with your : fellow Smash Bros. with your : newly juiced-up character and Super Smash Bros. shows what : unlock (oz a dozens of : upgrades of varying strength, : defence, and speed. up the fourth instalment of the critically acclaimed fighting game, Super Smash Bros., the Wii U version is absolutely the definitive Bros. has also solidified itself as one of the best games for the Nintendo 3DS. For those who have been living under a rock since 1998, would happen if you took all of Nintendo’s most popular characters and had them fight each other to the bitter end. games—instead of whittling away at your opponent’s health meter, you more or less try to knock them off of the stage. It’s safe to say it’s closer to a party game than : any traditional brawler. It’s : straightforward, accessible, : proudly as one of the exclusive ; . .__ } features of the 3DS version, is It’s not like most other fighting : absolutely worthless. All you : need to know is it involves a ? minimum amount of player : input or fun. It’s like pogs, but : a bit less nostalgic and much : less fun. Smash Street being : there doesn’t make the game and lots of fun. Alongside the ever- addictive multiplayer and countless hours of single StreetSmash, touted : worse, but it is worth knowing : about so you can avoid it and : play, well, anything else. Aside from the fact that : the camera zooms out a tad : too far on the larger maps, : Super Smash Bros. translates : alot better than you'd think it : would toa handheld console. : To compensate for the lower : visibility, by default, the : characters in this game have : a bold outline, which makes : the game stand out a bit more : graphically. Super Smash : Bros. sounds excellent on the : 3DS. There’s even enough : single player content to rival : contemporary Japanese RPGs : in terms of depth. Super Smash Bros. for : 3DS may not be the first : choice for many gamers who : are wanting an HD Super : Smash Bros. experience, but : there’s no denying that it : is certainly the single most : amusing multiplayer game on : handhelds, and is right up in : the highest tier of 3DS games.