'Christine': A different kind of scary movie that haunts the mind

Christine, a dramatic re-telling of the infamous case of former newswoman Chistine Chubbuck, is a different kind of horror film. Not unlike Foxcatcher, it is by turns darkly funny and seriously scary, but the terror takes place in the protagonist's mind, not on screen.

The film presents a profoundly sad story -- about a woman who is sexually repressed, horribly lonely and struggling to find her voice in the male-dominated 1970s world of TV news which, then and now, prizes sensationalism over substance. One wonders what would have become of Chubbuck had she been encouraged and had supportive mentors. But alas, her life took another turn.

At the center of the film is actress Rebecca Hall, who gives a tour de force, transformative performance here. The movie -- which is depressing -- could have veered into oppressively unpleasant territory like the well-made by unenjoyable We Need to Talk About Kevin. But Hall keeps the film teetering between the comic and claustrophobic, with one of the best bits of acting I've seen this year.

Hall has been terrific before, playing incredibly sympathetic leads in films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Gift, but in Christine she gets an array or tics and eccentricities to play that suit her skill set well.

And even if you know how Chubbuck's story ends -- that doesn't detract from the film's tension, which is palpable throughout.

As Chubbuck's stubbornness starts to give way to increasingly erratic behavior it might be hard to watch for some viewers, but I found it fascinating.

Living in New York City, I am always drawn to the people who behave abnormal in plain sight. I want to know their stories, how they unraveled. It can't always be a chemical imbalance, some people are simply driven to a kind of madness.

I believe, or at least the film's take, is that Chubbuck was one of those people, and that choice makes her arc and the film feel that much more tragic.

At one point, at near hysteria, she screams "Why won't anybody just listen to me?" It's a feeling we've all probably had at point or another. And in Chubbuck's case, her feelings are compounded by the career she has chosen for herself, which is highly competitive and high stakes with tremendous exposure.

The film Christine, which is well paced and methodical, wisely does not paint the complexities of Chubbuck's world with too broad a brush, which is a relief since any film set in a 1970s newsroom now runs the risk of feeling like an Anchorman-style spoof.

The movie also doesn't veer into exploitation, which it easily could, considering the subject matter.  It does end however, inevitably, on a bleak, bittersweet note.

But the film didn't leave me cold, in fact, it left me thinking about all the Christines I've encountered in my professional life, people who could be shrill and more than a little awkward at times, but just simply wanted their voice heard and appreciated.