What a great and heart touching film! I did not have any words to describe my emotions right after watching the movie, I felt confused, full of conflicting feelings towards the characters. On the way home after the class I did not even turn on the radio in my car and do no remember how I even got home, I was in a daze. After I got over the initial shock of the domestic violence scene, I started to analyze the film. Still, that last scene when military “macho” husband kept slamming wife’s head into the wall was just horrific, I was having difficult time concentrating on remembering anything else in the movie. It’s amazing how a film can evoke so many strong emotions! Bravo to the director of this film, and yes, I applaud the Oscar.
Despite many emotions that one would have after this film, two main ones emerge: hope and hopelessness. Hope for a better and more righteous future and hopelessness for the same righteous future. Gabby would eventually find out the true past of her parents, would be able to live with her real grandmother. But at the same time, the present family is being destroyed; the same family that she already fell in love with, not knowing anything better or anything more real. It is horrifying to even think that there were many families just like Gabby’s, the ones that were torn apart and divided to the military power holding families. I wonder whether a child like Gabby in this film would have a happy future? It seems that she would be full of so many mixed emotions and at the same time not be old enough to even understand it all. Gabby had the tragic memory carved in her and it came out on the day of her birthday, when her cousins came in her room with toy guns playing invasion. Except in her mind that was an echo of her past.
Can I ask for a fun film next time? Another burning shower scene will do:)