I saw this movie at a screening and I actually do wish I had never seen it. The basic plot is that a young mother needs to escape the cycle of abuse she and her children receive at the hands of their husband/father. Billy Burke plays said character. His rage has absolutely no buildup and plays out completely forced. For example, one scene plays out where he is just standing calmly and then in the blink of an eye he smashes a tumbler of scotch on the ground. It was so absurd and contrived, it's almost laughable. The audience is left wondering what is even going on as the camera pans out of the house and all we hear are the screams of a young boy. After this unclear incident the mother decides that she needs to escape the clutches of this "mad man". She finds an ally in Ray Liotta's character and even has an awkward, again so forced, maybe-romance with him. There is an almost 30 year age gap between the two actors which only contributes to that overarching theme of this film being ridiculously coerced and contrived. Even the best director could not have edited the performance of the two children to make it appear they have talent, especially the little girl. The film concludes with the mother getting her "ticket out" but not after one of the most ridiculous confrontations between the mother and eeeevil father involving a helicopter. Yes, a helicopter. When I was at this screening, the majority of the audience felt as I do. Upon hearing the criticisms, the director had nothing to come back at us with except defensive responses with no actual justification of his choices. That attitude left an even worse taste in my mouth about the movie.
Review of Ticket Out
