Brain On Fire (3 Stars)

This is a true story, based on a book written by the journalist Susannah Cahalan about her own experiences. She suffered from a rare disease called Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis, which is easy to cure once diagnosed, but it's very difficult for even experienced doctors to recognise.

After graduating Susannah went to work at the New York Post. Within a few months her high skills promised her a successful career, but then things changed. The first symptoms were tiredness and blurred vision. Then she began to see and hear things that weren't there. She had seizures that looked like epileptic fits. Finally she could hardly move and was unable to talk.

The doctors in her hospital made contradictory diagnoses. One called it the result of alcohol withdrawal. Another called it a bipolar disorder. Another called it a psychosis. She was close to being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, when a doctor discovered that the right side of her brain was inflamed. His diagnosis was Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis, an immune disorder in which a person's antibodies attack the brain.

This illness is regarded as rare, but it's possible that it commonly occurs and is incorrectly diagnosed.

The film was intended to go straight to video, but Netflix has acquired the exclusive rights, so you won't be able to find it on disc. It's a brilliant performance by Chloe Grace Moretz. She's one of the best actresses alive today, and her role as Susannah Cahalan gives her a chance to put her acting skills on display.

Nevertheless, I've given the film a relatively low rating. If I were judging the film on Chloe Grace Moretz's acting alone I'd have to give it five stars, but there's more to it than that. The film is too clinical and too distasteful for me. This is a subject matter that I would be able to read about in a book, but when I watch it on screen I have to turn my head away. I admit that I would never have picked up Susannah Cahalan's book, so I needed the film to educate me about this exotic disease. As an educational film it's good, but I expect films to entertain me. "Brain on Fire" has no entertainment value.