Grey Matter review – feelgood Alzheimer’s film is well-meaning life-lesson comedy

Stephanie Beacham is reduced to comic foil in this cliche-ridden tale of the bond that forms between an ailing woman and her grumpy granddaughter‘You’ve totally got one of those inspirational quote calendars, haven’t you?” says teenaged Alzheimer’s carer Chloé (Eloise Smyth) in her therapy session. “No, I’ve got three of them,” replies her counsellor. That about sums up this well-meaning but hapless sub-Hallmark comedy-drama – whose attempts to sweeten the subject matter with humour only serve to direct it towards every cliche-branch on its way down the tree of trite life lessons.Chloé is your typical feckless sixth-former, busy warring with her mum Eileen (Elizabeth Berrington) and bunking off her swimming training. After her grandma Peg (former Dynasty actor Stephanie Beacham) forgets to put the chicken in the oven one day and Eileen moves her into her own home, the youngster is drafted in as an impromptu carer. There’s a certain complicity between Chloé and her otherwise spunky grandparent; wanting to defy the diagnosis, they draw up a “fuck-it list” of things to do. But harsh biological realities cut it short. Continue reading...