So real, relevant, and heartbreaking

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2015)

Angelina is in a bit of an unusual element here. She plays the part so well that you almost don't even notice it's Angelina Jolie. Her character is so demure, and yet so full of a complex range of emotions. I watched this movie for her, and I kept thinking, "I should pay attention to Angelina more in this... I want to see Angelina and what an amazing actress she is." But I literally couldn't even think of the character as her. I was so into it.
The film is based on a true story. What I love is that the portrayals of the characters, the police corruption, the doctors, everything... is just so realistic. It's also still really relevant today, particularly in light of discussions of police misconduct and dismissal of women reporting rape. There's a moment where she is talking to the psych ward doctor and he tells her it's all in her head, where I was like, "Wow. That totally happened to me." I mean not the exact same scenario, I wasn't in a psych ward. But I've had doctors insinuate that everything I was telling them was just in my head, and I've found that if I am freaking out about something when I talk to a doctor, they will jump to the conclusion that I'm crazy and immediately dismiss everything I say that sounds abnormal. Even when they weren't my psychiatrist, they felt the need to be doing my therapist's job for me to suggest what was going on in my head. I did not take this lightly since my brother has schizophrenia.... and my brother would never have sought help if I had treated him the way doctors treated me. He got help because I took him seriously even when I was 100% positive he was hallucinating. Anyway, I had to solve my own health problems... thankfully I did. This scene hit home for me so much. It was so real, it's scary.
I normally dislike excessive violence in films, but I thought in this film it kind of gave life to the story and made me feel more and tear up.
Most if not all of the acting seemed superb to me.
The story itself is heartbreaking and terrifying, and I'm always afraid of ending up depressed or deeply disturbed after a film like this. But I don't feel that way. There was some sort of justice in the end. And I greatly appreciate films that are so true to life, especially ones that convey a difficult, yet important message.