I'm not an expert at abuse, but I have talked to many abused people (both men and women) and read a lot about it. I have never heard of someone going from 0-60 on controlling and abusive behavior in the first abusive incident. The husband didn't hit her, the immediately apologize, then justify it, then repeat. He went straight to, "I'm the king. It's your fault I hit you." And her reaction in the first scene was as a person who this has not been done to before. She should have either acted too scared to kick his ass, or should have kicked his ass. She definitely wasn't at the accepting or cowtowed stage yet, but that's her reaction.
I really liked the actors. I didn't make it past around minute 30, but I really liked the actors. The direction was okay, so long as I can think the director was at the mercy of the script. The script was terrible if it called for what I relayed above. If it was the director's call, then the director needs to move out of his/her parent's basement and experience some life before directing something like this.
This type of a movie can only be really good if it is very subtle, with a lot of great nuances. It can't be a Hollywood, shallow, cliche movie. Doesn't work for a subject like this. The Hollywood movie only works for bit, grandiose themes.
I really liked the actors. I didn't make it past around minute 30, but I really liked the actors. The direction was okay, so long as I can think the director was at the mercy of the script. The script was terrible if it called for what I relayed above. If it was the director's call, then the director needs to move out of his/her parent's basement and experience some life before directing something like this.
This type of a movie can only be really good if it is very subtle, with a lot of great nuances. It can't be a Hollywood, shallow, cliche movie. Doesn't work for a subject like this. The Hollywood movie only works for bit, grandiose themes.