Elizabeth Is Missing

I don't think I have ever written a review before but after watching this I felt compelled to.

Glenda Jackson's portrayal of a lady who has Alzheimers is played fantastically. I have worked with people with dementia/Alzheimers for 20 years. When programs like this come out I always watch and criticise because some performances are laughable. But this one was relatable on so many levels.

Elizabeth Is Missing (2019) marks a triumphant return before the cameras for Glenda Jackson, whose last filmed work was done in 1992. The story has Jackson as a woman in the early stages of dementia who is determined to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her friend Elizabeth. Her memory is triggered by objects and music and bits of things that cause to flash back 70 years to the disappearance of her sister. While the two things seem connected to her, to her family she is babbling incoherently. She is dismissed as a senile old woman, but she knows the clues add up. She has all the clues because they're all written down on bits of paper. She also knows she hasn't much time left.

After decades in politics, Jackson returned to acting a few years ago, and she's had major success on the London and New York stages, but this is her first filmed work since her return. At 83, she is still formidable , and she is superb in this TV movie.

I watched this stunningly powerful film with tears running down my cheeks. This is a no holds barred portrait of an elderly woman desperately trying to remember events of her youth while suffering with dementia. There are super supporting performances, especially from Helen Behan, as the put upon daughter dealing with the daily pain and trauma of seeing her beloved mother deteriorate. However, this is a tour de force performance from Glenda Jackson as Maudie. Her performance is raw and heartbreaking. Ms Jackson is still one of the world's greatest actors. Please watch this.

Such a sad but beautiful portrayal of those of us that do, have and will suffer with such illnesses. The remembering of certain facts only adds to the sadness when in general this would enthuse an audience. Well written and fantastic acting.

An interesting take, on the immensely difficult subject of Dementia. Glenda Jackson, gives a sympathetic and enigmatic performance as an old lady, struggling with the present and the past. It's wonderful to see this talented actress back on our screens - and to see a storyline, that draws you in and keeps you hopeful for an ending - that makes sense of the confusion suffered by a woman who is suffering from this appalling condition.