Having spent much of my youth in the presence of losers and the disenfranchised, this movie really hit home. There's no question that the Academy Award went to the correct person. The combination of rage and despair are so admirably presented a character as complex as the creases on her expressive face. It's the ultimate vicious circle. We tend to vilify someone like this because we only see the surface. But inside is that good heart that would love to become whole, but the past has too many tentacles and there are too many bruises that would need to be treated. She has no defenses. Even acting to save herself, she starts the ball rolling toward her destruction. We forget this is actually a love story, but the cards are stacked to the heavens. Great performances by Theron and Ricci. The latter brings a knowing innocence and we wonder if she will have an opportunity. Not comfortable to watch, but we need to see it.
