VERY well done movie covering many subjects, aging, how we treat our elders, how music/food affects us, cultural differences, I could go on and on! Don't want to spoil anything so won't detail too much but young pre-med student starts at a nursing home job and meets an elderly resident who is almost catatonic, no words/eating etc. She discovers what makes him more aware and it changes her life as well. Great acting as usual from Louis Gossett Jr and I didn't know Ana Golja but she was great too. Many supporting actors also gave really good performances which added to the story/mood of the film. Music was great as well as the writing, simple yet complicated story. Having waited on seniors for a lot of my career I can tell you they often have GREAT stories to tell and we should pay attention to them. Many pieces of advice they gave me have come in handy. Overall well done, give it a look!

In a nursing home, nurse Baker (Lauren Holly) assigns Mina Ayoub (Ana Golja) to care for Luis Garcia (Louis Gossett Jr.), a Cuban musician suffering from dementia. She tries to connect with his music. Bano Ayoub (Shohreh Aghdashloo) is her progressive mother who is still holding onto her Afghan home. Her cousin sets her up with Kris (Giacomo Gianniotti).

The Notebook uses flashbacks to add life to a confined drama. This one is trying to use Mina's personal life. That's the weaker half of this movie. I don't find the romance all that compelling. It doesn't have much heat. What would be more compelling is Luis' life in Cuba. If only they could film half of the movie there. As for LGJ, I love his face and its age. I find his recovery a little abrupt. I do like the son's conflict with him, but it needs more space. There are various elements being thrown into the pot. All of it is commendable, but the movie needs more cohesive tension. This is an admirable try.

A well meaning, but far-fetched story of a premed student working in a nursing home environment whose residents suffer primarily from dementia and Alzheimer's. She establishes a meaningful connection with one of the residents who initially is deemed hopeless for recovery. She achieves this bond by using his Cuban background (food, music, etc) to reawaken his senses by stimulating his memory. Of course, she meets her fair share of obstacles along the way. The movie is not awful but I wouldn't want to spend money in a theater to see it. The acting is good but the writing is mediocre. I'd recommend it on a rainy or snowy afternoon at home.