Alice, Querida

First off, I do understand why not everyone appreciates this movie.

It's more than a little slow in places, and it really doesn't qualify as a thriller or a mystery. Frankly it's not that thrilling, and it's never much of a mystery.

Honestly I watched it because I like Anna Kendrick, and also because I like thrillers in which there's some sort of clever twist and/or the bad guy really gets his/her comeuppance at the end.

Without giving away too much, I'll just say that I was a bit disappointed in that area.

However I also admit I was surprised to see one of the more realistic portrayals of the phenomenon known as the narcistic relationship. This is where someone - a boss, a family member, a boyfriend/girlfriend, etc keeps you under their control by quietly, politely, every-so-helpfully telling you that you just can't do anything right. And the worse they get, the more you believe you're the one with the problem.

And while this movie isn't exactly action-packed or even particularly suspenseful, anyone who has ever been in one of that situation will undoubtedly say that they got it right. The worst bosses typically aren't the ones that yell and scream. The worst family members aren't the ones who call you names. And many, many abusive relationships never involve either participant laying a hand on the other. In each case, the worst offenders are the ones who quietly make you hate yourself.

As far as the ending, again I won't give away too much except to say that once again, anyone who has ever been in that situation will say ya - they got it right.

You're with a man who's very subtly coercive, in a relationship that's vile and corrosive, playing tricks with how you think, makes you wither, narrow, shrink, this is no way to spend your days, no life to live. Time with friends gives you a chance to float, reflect, of how your mind has crashed and burned, become a wreck, with their help they catch your fall, assist the break with a large maul, evict the poison from your heart, with great effect.

I thought Anna Kendrick was amazing as the mentally anguished and tortured Alice, who's fairy-tale romance had turned out to be anything but, as she finds out what friendship and love really can be, when those close truly care.

The reviews on here are so problematic. People are moaning this isn't entertaining, it has no thrills and excitement. This is what abuse feels like, numb and dull in the stomach.

People want to watch physical abuse, want the shocks and horror of dealing with abuse. But it's not always like that. Sometimes it's odd, weird and strange.

This feel is real. The panic of doing something wrong, that your friends notice you acting different. And realising yourself that there is a problem.

Alice is taken away from her life, with friends. She is out of the situation and then it gets unsettling when she isn't just concentrating on being a good girl to her partner.

Abuse is horrific. Sorry if this didn't 'excite' you or you found it boring. But I think it was very valid in how disconnected abuse can make you feel.

Alice, Darling is a surprisingly accurate portrayal of coercive abuse. Coercive abuse and control is the slow erosion of the victim's sense of self. There's no dramatic set-up with explosive drama or thrilling moments, which understandably can leave audiences wanting

Throughout the movie there are subtle cues of abuse. To an outsider the abuse is so insignificant it's not detectable. Leaving the victim thinking the reason for the abuse is their fault

This movie pays homage to the victims of abuse, empathetically and with great consideration. Alice, Darling is probably more for victims and their loved ones, than for a general audience. This could be the reason for the low score. It could serve as an introduction to those who are interested in coercive abuse

The actors does a great job of conveying the confusing reality of abuse, for the victim and those around her. The pacing could at times seem slow but it goes with the general theme of realism, rather than entertainment. In my opinion, the run-time was perfect. Any longer and the movie could've easily been a drudge fest. The dialogue is well-written and there must have been a lot of research involved.

It's not a movie that delves into absolutes, which makes it even more realistic

A well worth watch.

Loved this movie and a great debut for director Mary Nighy. The film creates a real sense of what it must be like for the abused party when the abuser is a controlling, manipulator. There were Great performances too from The three main characters who demonstrate the spirit of friendship as the became increasingly aware of what was really going on. It just goes to show that a psychological drama does not need to be extreme or violent and that the damage and trauma of control and manipulation can be subtle and unseen.

It's a mystery to me why the early reviews on IMDB have been so negative about this movie.