Pause

There is a bit of unintended irony in this film in that both the husband and wife are equally wretched people.

We have all observed marriages like this. The full 90 minutes of it is a bit over the top though.

Stella Fyrogeni is remarkable in the Greek domestic drama "Pause". Her portrayal of a long-suffering wife, so minimized by her loathsome husband it doesn't even pass for underappreciated, is at various turns in this film: morose, incensed, impassioned and, ultimately and most unlikely, giddy.

And as the movie's premise is that this is a middle-aged woman ensnared in a vicious bout with menopause, we as an audience are never entirely sure if what we are watching is her real world or her fantasy one.

Captivating stuff here to be sure. If it wasn't all just so damn dismal.