Thanks for the memories!

Don't Believe the Hype

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It's one of those films that portray an emotion or situation you have to be familiar with in order to truly appreciate it's beauty.The cinematic portrayal of depression at it's finest. The feeling of entrapment in a life that feels like there isn't an escape, the feeling of despair, the fear of pursuing your personal happiness at the cost of another persons happiness. These were artistically portrayed very intimately, and I really appreciated that. It was well executed.Great performance by Gemma Arterton, there were some scenes in the beginning that gave me shivers.A lot mixed reviews for this title, and I understand why. People who have experienced a similar situation would resonate with this film very much. One of the reviewers called her motives unrealistic and selfish, that 'every mum' goes through this. That's untrue, every person is different. Every situation is different. Some people love their roles of being mothers, and go through their life without a care of other possibilities. Some people enter motherhood ambitious, not realizing the sacrifice. The sacrifice of personal accomplishment and meaning. And I feel like this is what the film was trying to portray. A film not for everyone, but for those who do resonate with it will appreciate it.

Gemma Arterton's performance was wonderful in this film. She summed up her feelings and thoughts perfectly and even triggered my own feelings in regards to depression. It was very moving and difficult to watch at times. Slow burned to create feelings of tension building up inside her.

I suppose the title is a spoiler in itself... but I really did like the film a lot until the ending which I felt was a copout. The film was well acted; I felt the pain of the character played by Arterton throughout. It's the housewife/mother's dilemma we feminists identified decades ago: many or even most women won't be satisifed "just" keeping house, raising their children and keeping their man happy. No, a woman needs meaningful activity in her life in which her thoughts and creativity can be used. This is what Arterton's character was missing and seeking. It was interesting if not obvious the way the older French woman who "rescues" her at the end tells her to "try to make your life work with your husband and if that doesn't work, make it work without him." Well, yes, and early on in the film the husband does give the wife this opportunity. When she was just discovering how sad and unfulfilled she was, he, apparently sincerely, tells her, "Just tell me what you want. I'll do anything for you." If only she knew enough at that point she could have said, well here's a list of what I want and need." But as in real life, things aren't usually that tidy or easy. So she had to go through running away and meeting a cad of a man in order to realize that she already had enough good in her life to work with. I would have loved the movie even more if the ending had been more definitive. Instead, it does a kind of "We've come full circle" thing in which we're left to surmise what the main character does next.

I related to this woman's role, as I lived it, but unlike the character in the film, I, and most other women, don't have the financial freedom to make such a choice. What we see in the film is pretty much a typical marriage with small children. The wife is unhappy and unfulfilled. The husband is pretty much oblivious to her emotional needs, while expecting sex on demand. The other aspect of this story is the abandonment of one's children. One could also argue that paired with that impossible decision is the fact that she has a comfortable home, a faithful husband who is a good provider. Many women stay just for the security. One could surmise the woman is just being selfish, not willing to make the marriage work. One could also argue she is very brave, but are the sacrifices worth it? The film doesn't make this clear in the end.