I imagine a lot of religious types would hate this movie and comment on it without even seeing it solely based on their beliefs, which is kind of ironic when you think about it. I would expect even most of the more secular types would hate this film because it IS hard to watch and atypical of most movies that have either a clear message or a protagonist who somehow manages to succeed.
The truth is, this film is very hard to watch but is a very well made film that allows us into the world of a woman fraught with pain the likes of which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Who among us could deny any living thing relief from profound pain? It seems as a species we're much more adept at causing and prolonging each others pain than anything else.
In this film, Maria Bello plays very much a victim of childhood abuse who now suffers at the hands of an uncaring, unsympathetic husband played masterfully by Rufus Sewell. Every nuance and every tick is captured and sometimes shown in closeup as Sewell goes about his business with utter disregard for his wife's profound suffering.
Maria Bello portrays a woman I'd expect would elicit even a modest measure of sympathy from a passing stranger and yet her husband, clearly unable, shows himself to be either a monster or yet another tortured soul, battered by years of his wife's seemingly unreasonable anguish.
This is not a film I'd care to watch a second time, but I'm glad I watched it because it IS very well made. The performances are as perfect as any I have seen, while the cinematography and the score similarly show qualities that perfectly fit the story.
The truth is, this film is very hard to watch but is a very well made film that allows us into the world of a woman fraught with pain the likes of which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Who among us could deny any living thing relief from profound pain? It seems as a species we're much more adept at causing and prolonging each others pain than anything else.
In this film, Maria Bello plays very much a victim of childhood abuse who now suffers at the hands of an uncaring, unsympathetic husband played masterfully by Rufus Sewell. Every nuance and every tick is captured and sometimes shown in closeup as Sewell goes about his business with utter disregard for his wife's profound suffering.
Maria Bello portrays a woman I'd expect would elicit even a modest measure of sympathy from a passing stranger and yet her husband, clearly unable, shows himself to be either a monster or yet another tortured soul, battered by years of his wife's seemingly unreasonable anguish.
This is not a film I'd care to watch a second time, but I'm glad I watched it because it IS very well made. The performances are as perfect as any I have seen, while the cinematography and the score similarly show qualities that perfectly fit the story.