SPOILERS
I have to say that the performances in this film is excellent. Molly Parker is very good as a mentally damaged young woman who can only find relief in her dull life by becoming a prostitute in a hotel where she serves as a receptionist. I couldn't help thinking, why is this nice looking young woman acting in such a horribly self-destructive way?
Things get worse for this woman when she meets a handsome man who wanted to stay in the motel. This man, played by Callum Keith Rennie (an incredibly intense actor), beats her up in his motel room. She doesn't do a thing to stop this abuse. Gradually along the way, she ends up having an affair with this dangerous stranger and things go from bad to worse. Oddly enough, a second story appears. This has to do with a young girl who has a dysfunctional family life. Her parents are not getting along and her mother has numerous love affairs. Tragedy happens to this little girl. The stories do not seem to relate to one another, but the ending, which is jarring and disturbing, ties the two stories together.
Like I said before, the performances are very good, but the story left me feeling a little ill. There is this one scene where Gary (Callum Keith Rennie) takes Lilah (Molly Parker) to a room in a house. He tells her he has to go out to do something and so she stays in the house. Men come into Lilah's room and pretty much rape her. She doesn't do anything but lay there like a corpse. The rape scene made me feel very sick at Lilah's violation and I was angry that she did nothing to save herself. Only in the end, did she find some sort of courage to get away from Gary.
This is a deeply disturbing film. Not everyone will enjoy this movie.
I give this movie a "B+" for the perforamnces and a "C-" for the story.
I have to say that the performances in this film is excellent. Molly Parker is very good as a mentally damaged young woman who can only find relief in her dull life by becoming a prostitute in a hotel where she serves as a receptionist. I couldn't help thinking, why is this nice looking young woman acting in such a horribly self-destructive way?
Things get worse for this woman when she meets a handsome man who wanted to stay in the motel. This man, played by Callum Keith Rennie (an incredibly intense actor), beats her up in his motel room. She doesn't do a thing to stop this abuse. Gradually along the way, she ends up having an affair with this dangerous stranger and things go from bad to worse. Oddly enough, a second story appears. This has to do with a young girl who has a dysfunctional family life. Her parents are not getting along and her mother has numerous love affairs. Tragedy happens to this little girl. The stories do not seem to relate to one another, but the ending, which is jarring and disturbing, ties the two stories together.
Like I said before, the performances are very good, but the story left me feeling a little ill. There is this one scene where Gary (Callum Keith Rennie) takes Lilah (Molly Parker) to a room in a house. He tells her he has to go out to do something and so she stays in the house. Men come into Lilah's room and pretty much rape her. She doesn't do anything but lay there like a corpse. The rape scene made me feel very sick at Lilah's violation and I was angry that she did nothing to save herself. Only in the end, did she find some sort of courage to get away from Gary.
This is a deeply disturbing film. Not everyone will enjoy this movie.
I give this movie a "B+" for the perforamnces and a "C-" for the story.