A short film from the pen of Liverpool-based actor / writer /producer Steve Bird which exposes and highlights domestic abuse through the eyes of one of its victims.
This filmed monologue shows a middle-aged house wife at home first talking about loneliness; how she had always been lonely, even as a schoolgirl, and being a 'wall-flower'; and then reminisces and reflects on how she fell in love with an alpha-male type rough-around-the-edges man and ended up marrying him. She remembers how and when it all started to go wrong, and how he manipulated her, made her feel small, removing any romance from their relationship and replacing it with hurt and hate. The verbal abuse turned to physical abuse, and she kept quiet about it. They had a child together, and when she turned 16 she left home never to be seen again. Of course the mother had suspicions but never explored far enough or made the child speak the truth - but the truth was he was also absuing her too.
In her gin-fuelled confession to camera, she takes pleasure in telling us that there was one time she had simply had enough, and she stood up to him, and she took matters into her own hands.
It's sadly an all-too familiar story, and the narrative simply confirms what we already know about the behaviour of domestic abusers and the abused. That doesn't make their stories any less tragic of deprive them of meaning, but it does mean that as a film, this story, despite being quite expertly and truthfully performed by Pamela Ashton, is in known territory and on terra firma so to speak. The film raises the issues, without pushing boundaries or attacking the subject from a new angle; and leaves us with a satisfactory 'Hollywood' style conclusion, as the underdog, after years of endurance and suffering, comes out on top.
Professionally filmed and sympathetically portrayed and produced.
Reviewer - Chris Benchley
on - 5/9/20
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