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Absolutely the worst movie.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

My friend started a Movie Club. On Sundays, one of us posts movie that we all should see during following week and on next Sunday we discuss it and choose next movie. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is biography drama made for television with Oprah in leading role. Definitely not my cup of tea. But to avoid being party-breaker at the very beginning of the movie club I sat to see it. Honestly, I was bored.During '50s, cells of anonymous Afro-american woman who was dying of cancer made revolutionary breakthrough in medicine. Half century later, journalist Rebecca Skloot decides to write book about HELA cells, Henrietta Lacks, woman whose cells are in question, her life and family. If I understood correctly, this movie is adaptation of that book.Movie follows Rebecca during her research for the book and her relations with Henrietta's children, with lots of flashbacks on this family's past. Past full of drama, emotional trauma and mental illness. But there's almost nothing about HELA cells and their application in modern medicine. Technically speaking movie is solid and I have no objections. Oprah nailed the role of Henrietta's daughter Deborah. But honestly, I do not see the point of making this movie, except to set up a stage for Oprah, who besides leading role is also producer of this film, to show her remarkable acting skills. Biography dramas usually present lives of people whose achievements left mark in history. They bring us closer to their lives and personality and show us how they came to get into history. Henrietta Lacks as person didn't do anything worthy of biography drama. Incidentally, her body produced something that made breakthrough in medicine, but I don't see how it is her merit and what her children and their family drama have to do with HELA cells and research. As family and as individuals these people are completely irrelevant for history and I have no idea why would anybody write about them.6/10

I read this book years ago and couldn't put it down. Deborah's (Oprah) story was not the intended focal point of the book, but as I remember her interactions with the author sort of took over. In that way the movie did well focusing on the relationship between the two. A huge part of the book was not just about the science or Henrietta herself but her family and a young writer getting herself into more than just a science book. I enjoyed it

I was hoping for so much more. I have not read the book, so I don't know how well the film depicted the book. I just felt utterly confused at some scenes. The editing was disjointed and parts of the story seemed to be missing, jumping from one emotion or conversation to another with no explanation. I love Rose Byrne but her character was clearly just a sidekick and there was NO chemistry with Ms. O, I wonder if they even got along during filming?

The low score on IMDb I suspect the trailers gave the wrong impression, I think people were looking for the wonder Henrietta Lacks cells gave mankind but I took the movie for what it was, a story more focus on the family than on Henrietta Lacks. And I enjoyed it this way, learning of the pain it causes the Lacks family reveals how intelligent society discards the poor and the meek, it's a life lesson of the realities of life. The low score on IMDb might also be some can't handle the truth, I pray one day this family will get the billions they are entitled to.