Take My Eyes Movie Review:


After years of abuse, Pilar (Marull) runs away from her husband Antonio (Tosar). With their son Juan, Pilar moves into her sister’s and starts to put her life back together. She gets a job at the local museum and discovers that she has a gift as a tour guide but even though she feels like her life is finally starting, her husband is not completely out of the picture. Promising to change and seek professional help, Antonio tries to turn his life around but can Pilar ever trust him again.

The subject of domestic abuse is a very difficult subject for filmmakers to approach but ‘Take my Eyes (Te doy mis ojos)’ covers the subject in a very intelligent and thoughtful way.

Director and co-screenwriter Icíar Bollaín tackles this very delicate subject with the utmost respect, revealing both sides of the marriage and giving you views from each of the two main characters perspectives. Here we see the fear that Pilar feels when her husband becomes enraged but we also realise that she wants to understand and forgive him because of their past and the fact that she is still in love with him. We also see Antonio’s point of view as he reveals the fact that he is consumed by jealousy and anger but cannot understand why Pilar can’t see his reasons for this. This is a man who wants to change but even with therapy, struggles to control his violent mood swings.

As the film progresses, Icíar Bollaín makes the correct decision not to show the physical violence that both Pilar and her sister reveal has happened to her. Showing this would have distracted some of the attention away from the story he was trying to tell. Instead he shows the verbal abuse and physical humiliation that Pilar endures from Antonio. This is just as shocking and disturbing as any depiction of violence could have been as mental scaring is deeper than any physical scar could ever be.

It is the performances from the two leads that drive this movie. Laia Marull is exceptional as Pilar. She creates a character that is totally believeable. You watch in awe as you witness her reactions to Antonio, never questioning her talent. The characters transformation from timid, fear driven housewife to confident museum tour guide is remarkable, as you never question her love for Antonio but struggle to understand it. Luis Tosar is also first rate as Antonio. Portraying a man that is consumed by jealousy and mistrust is hard and it would have been so easy to make Antonio a one-dimensional, abusive character. Instead Tosar tries to make the character believeable and while not making any excuses for his behaviour, he tries to portray the character as a man with real trust issues that manifest themselves in abuse.

‘Take my Eyes (Te doy mis ojos)’ is a powerful and moving look at image of spousal abuse. Director and co-screenwriter Icíar Bollaín approach to the subject is excellent, giving it the respect and importance that it deserves. As a family driven drama, this is one of the best and most realistic movies you will ever see in this genre and proof again that foreign cinema is more creative and inventive that the Hollywood machine.



Jamie Kelwick

 

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