Christine (2016)

            The story of Christine Chubbuck has been considered one of the darkest times in daytime television history. For those who don’t know, Chubbuck was known for her work as a daytime news reporter in Florida, that ended up taking her own life on air at the age of 29, suffering from years of depression and health issues. Reading up on the events that transpired, it feels eerie to try and believe that an event such as this truly happened. Earlier this year, the Sundance Film Festival had featured two films that were about Christine Chubbuck’s story. One of them was a documentary about an actress preparing herself to play Christine, and the other was a bio-pic, simple titled “Christine.”

            All I’ve got to say is this film is easily one of the most haunting experiences I’ve ever had. For one, I had to drive up a few miles just to get to a theater that was playing the film, only to find out I’m one of only three people in the auditorium. That, and the film itself was incredibly grim, not once letting its unsettling atmosphere drop for a second, even in the more touching moments. The dull color schemes used, the darkness that looms within scenes, the way the music switches from stressful to hauntingly morbid, how the pace slows down in parts, and with it being a true story, it gives the film this nightmarish tone that’s kind of hard to explain. For the first film that I’ve seen of the director, Antonio Campos, he truly captured quite the uncomfortable mood.

            The cast really sells it in these performances, but the one that obviously shines through is Rebecca Hall as Christine Chubbuck. Much like Jake Gyllenhaal in “Nightcrawler,” Rebecca Hall completely disappears in this film, and all we’re left seeing is Christine Chubbuck: a reporter desperate to have something good happen in her life, but because of her lack of confidence is left helpless at every given turn. Whether it’s from the stress of work, her family, or even her health, you feel the kind of weight she goes through. Hall easily delivers the best performance that I’ve seen this year, and I’m hoping she gets nominated for Best Actress. Although, considering how limited its release has been, it will be a bit of a long shot, but I’m hoping for it to happen.

            As someone who has been suffering from depression for years, I have to applaud Craig Shilowich for writing and producing this film, as he really showed us the key features depressed people have: the anti-social attitude, the uncomfortable interactions with our crush, moments where it feels like the world is against you, constantly feeling like a burden and everything you try to do to fix it is hopeless...all of that is perfectly represented here in this film. It almost feels like this film was made to show people, who think very little about mental illness, that it should be taken seriously, by showing us how it affected people like Christine Chubbuck. For decades, we've had people who have sadly been driven to this point of madness, or even treading near the lines of it, and it still exists today. Whether they're newscasters, celebrities, or even your own relative, it isn't something to look at and think "oh it's just a phase," or anything like that.

            I’m not going to give this film my usual rating, mostly because I’m not exactly sure how to properly recommend “Christine.” The best way I can put it is this: if you are in anyway fascinated by the story of Christine Chubbuck, and you want to see a theatrical presentation of it, give it a watch, whatever way possible. It is a rough sit, no doubt about it, but it is worth seeing.