Wife beating, spousal abuse,domestic violence, call it what you will. It's a terribly demeaning position to be in to be part of this cycle. This film takes a look at the issue, seeing the damage done but also the attempts to deal with the problem. Great,involving performances add to the realistic nature of the film. The final scene of the female protagonist's humiliation is hard to watch.

a realistic movie with great dialogue and performances.

Well made, but difficult to watch.

Deep situation drama - one of the better in ths category. It gets more intense as the minutes go, my heart was skipping fast near the end! In some ways you understand the man, being in his situation and all, but in most ways you understand the girl. The man is terrible, jelous, selfish and sick - the girl is stupid. There are some fantastic acting by the leads here. You can feel her troubles just by the way she appear. A very real film, almost too real. It has some neat music and sound work, the pace is very good and the development is flawless. A beautiful, tragic and honest real-life story that really deserves more recognition. It feels like a true horror piece, a bit more powerful and stronger than Almodovar's most flicks in many ways. This is a very important film about domestic violence, probably an eye opener for many. It will stay with me for a long time, I'm sure of it.

After 200,000 years domestic violence is still all the rage.

muy buena y muy fuerte, una buena película para pensar en aquello que pasa pero no se muestra

Tosar un monstruo como siempre.

This psychological drama takes a different and respectful look at domestic abuse, seen from the eyes of both the victim and the perpetrator. We see a violent man who is not a monster, but a human being unable to contain his anger and jealousy, even though he seeks professional help. The movie never tries to justify his behavior, but to render a psychological profile of an abuser. His wife wants to believe he can change, and both are driven by their own fears and insecurities. Excellent portrayals by both lead actors help elevate this movie from Lifetime material.

One of the best films I watched in a while. Dark.Sad with superfine acting..

Esta película es poderosa, se te mete en la piel todo el sentimiento que desarrolla. Es impresionante, las actuaciones son excelentes.

bon film sur la violence conjuguale tres bon jeu d acteur

A fantastic drama that shows the difficulties and pure cruelty of domestic violence, without ever becoming outlandish. Marull plays a woman that flees, with her son, from her marriage. The film is very clever in showing this act first. It leaves us as fascinated voyeurs and doesn't force us into feeling to much animosity towards the husband. This is key in allowing the film to explore its themes. Later we hear about visits to the hospital, but we don't see this happen. In fact, we see the husband trying to seek help before we see him do anything cruel. I loved this clever touch, as our view of him wasn't tainted. This is probably how many family members saw him. Hearing about his exploits, but is there a chance the wife is exaggerating? As the film progresses, we see the husband as a tragic character. Tosar adds an infinite amount of layers, but we finally see his anger as an uncontrollable destructive force. He sees himself as the victim and his wife as the enemy. In his mind, he is being assaulted. As the film draws towards its climax, there is a sense that they could work it all out, and from that comes hope. The films greatest achievement is not being about the victims. It isn't sappy, preachy, or unbearable. It would have been easy to show Tosar beating Marull, but the film's climax is even more disturbing, due to all the misplaced anger. A great movie.

it's fantastic to see a film about a subject that has been done so many times before and yet this one is outstandingly new, moving and intense. superb on all levels!

Laia Marull y Luis Tosar interpretan con una verdad desgarradora, estos personajes victimizados. Marull se convierte en una victima de abuso confundida y asustada, lejos de ser una caricatura de la esposa abusada. Tosar evade el papel del hombre villano por definición, dándole a su personaje la vulnerabilidad necesaria para entenderlo, pero no justificarlo. Este ultimo punto es logrado por la inteligencia del libreto de la directora Iciar Bollain, quien construye con sencillez un relato que mal manejado hubiese terminado siendo un melodrama fácil para llorar. Bollain prefiere estar anclada en la tierra y conmovernos lentamente, con un estilo que emula lo mejor del Neorrealismo italiano.

What is different about this film about domestic violence is that focuses on the psychological roots of the abuse. This film shows how well meaning interventions, tend to prolong the inevitable. It also shows the importance of a good network of friends and family supporting the victims of domestic abuse. Good performances and intelligent script are good ingredients for a successful narration of a complex story. Painful truths are difficult to digest, but this films handle it with compassion and respect. I highly recommend it.

está muy buena!! tmbn muy triste jaja!

Good movie. I liked the psychological version of that complicated relationship that the movie shows.

I started to watch it and I didn't enjoy it that much!

No conocía a Luis Tosar y verle en este papel como consigue que sintamos lástima por un hombre maltratador te hace reconocer su gran papel en este film.Laia Marull mereció su Goya sobradamente.

Domestic violence from an unbiased point of view. She who suffers. He who suffers. We see it all. Intensely acted, expertly directed, certainly a film for multi-level thinking. "Be aware" is the message. "Be aware and do." Do express, do confront, by all parties involved. Up, close, personal, human emotions at their extremes. SEE IT!