plot details are mentioned in this review
Who was it who said there are two kinds of horror, the horror without and the horror within - this is the horror within, specifically domestic violence, more specifically wife beating, the major plot thread of this movie. The fact that the husband was both very sweet/loving and horrifically abusive makes the character much more frightening and much more real. Yes other films have managed to show two sides to a person but i can't remember any off hand that go to this extreme. Add to that rape and many not-nice social issues and you have a serious film that deserves its praise IMHO, mainly for taking an important subject and making it into a moving story, that gets it's message across and entertains without (i think) belittlement or too much sentimentality - although this could have been a difficult movie for non-Maoris to follow, the script is written in such a way as to make it accessible to almost anyone. Most of themes really are universal. The film-making hardly gets in the way of telling the story, which is something you only think about afterwards, but very important. If i had to fault the film i would say the characters are a little underdeveloped - it could have done perhaps with being a longer, and the dialogue less general (less abstract, more specific to individuals' situations); but then it might have lost some of its impact.
Couple of silly comments risking offence (I *don't* think paedophilia is an amusing topic) but did the rapist remind anyone of Jesus from The Big Lebowski? And (it has to be said sorry) aren't the guys in this film *huge*?
8/10 recommended, especially for us males (who i notice didn't like this film quite as much).
Who was it who said there are two kinds of horror, the horror without and the horror within - this is the horror within, specifically domestic violence, more specifically wife beating, the major plot thread of this movie. The fact that the husband was both very sweet/loving and horrifically abusive makes the character much more frightening and much more real. Yes other films have managed to show two sides to a person but i can't remember any off hand that go to this extreme. Add to that rape and many not-nice social issues and you have a serious film that deserves its praise IMHO, mainly for taking an important subject and making it into a moving story, that gets it's message across and entertains without (i think) belittlement or too much sentimentality - although this could have been a difficult movie for non-Maoris to follow, the script is written in such a way as to make it accessible to almost anyone. Most of themes really are universal. The film-making hardly gets in the way of telling the story, which is something you only think about afterwards, but very important. If i had to fault the film i would say the characters are a little underdeveloped - it could have done perhaps with being a longer, and the dialogue less general (less abstract, more specific to individuals' situations); but then it might have lost some of its impact.
Couple of silly comments risking offence (I *don't* think paedophilia is an amusing topic) but did the rapist remind anyone of Jesus from The Big Lebowski? And (it has to be said sorry) aren't the guys in this film *huge*?
8/10 recommended, especially for us males (who i notice didn't like this film quite as much).