Devorar

Tv was on and I happened to walk in the room after the film had just started. I adore the lead actress (she always kills it in her roles, girl on a train is a perfect example) and I found myself sitting down and watching it the whole way through because I couldn't believe what I was watching. Like others have said before, I found myself wanting this poor girl to get some real help, not what she was getting. My eyes would water up and I was even talking to the tv at her, trying to offer my own compassion for her. The ending wasn't all tied up in a happy little bow in some fairytale fashion. It was right for the story- in my opinion anyways. Gave me tremendous empathy for anyone suffering from what she was and why she most likely was. I was sad watching her story but I'm not sorry I watched it at all.

An interesting take on a weird condition, Swallow is well-crafted, very captivating film. Yet it feels like it lacks depth, like it lacks a real vision of the world and the characters at its core beyond its aesthetic qualities. A film worth watching but in my opinion it is a bit vacuous.

On the plus side this is a well-made movie and the location on the Hudson River above NYC is very picturesque. For me the main reason to enjoy this movie is the performance of Haley Bennett as the afflicted young wife, Hunter. She is really good in the role.

There is a malady called "pica" and if you look it up you'll find all those things depicted in this story, eating ice, swallowing metallic objects, eating paper, eating dirt, etc. The story attempts to tie Hunter's behavior to aspects of her birth and upbringing, and includes some sessions with a therapist, but the sum of its parts is muddled. We see the story arc but it does not tie up neatly into a whole story.

Hunter's new husband is the son of a very wealthy family and he himself is head of a corporation. The whole family, son, dad, mom, treat Hunter as a curiosity, a mystery to be solved, dictating what she should do, even forcing her to have a male nurse follow her at home 24/7 to make sure she quits swallowing things that might yet again send her to the hospital.

Naturally she reaches a breaking point and has to get out of the situation, but where does she go from there?

A moderately interesting movie, I watched it at home on DVD from my public library, my wife skipped.

A disturbing & distressing story of loneliness, trauma, compulsion & isolation that's driven by an exquisitely layered performance from its leading lady, Swallow follows a pregnant housewife living a seemingly idyllic but emotionally stifling domestic life until she develops an obsession that allows her to break free from her controlled & submissive environment.

Written & directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis in his feature directorial debut, the story utilises a compulsive eating disorder as its narrative tool to cover a woman's journey from a subdued & compliant wife to regaining control over her body & life. The silent camerawork & gradual pace fit the premise, while the neat yet suffocating ambience aptly reflect her own domiciliary existence.

While it is unnerving & uncomfortable to watch her new obsession take over her life, even more unsettling is the lack of empathy from her husband & his parents as they tighten their grip over her life after learning about her psychological disorder. This is one story that never would've made it to the finish line without a strong performance to steer it through, and Haley Bennett more than delivers in that role.

Overall, Swallow is far from an easy sit and is also uneven at times but it manages to create intrigue & interest with its offbeat approach & eccentric story, and exhibits sophistication in several aspects. Bennet's fab performance is the glue that holds it together but if you went in expecting a psychological horror with good dose of thrills, then this indie is bound to leave behind a slightly underwhelming aftertaste. Still not for the squeamish.

I was weirdly taken with this movie. Reading the description, I was pretty hesitant about actually watching it but I'm so glad I did.

Swallow is a slow, ponderous, captivating and cringe-inducing story of a woman who's life is slowly unraveling when she finds that lap of luxury she's lovingly married into turns out to actually be a stifling gilded cage.

The psychological turmoil that Bennett portrays was really subtle and moving. We don't get a string of explanatory diatribes, we get her performance and it absolutely works.

This is hard to watch at times though. Our lead character does love up to the title. She swallows things. Things that shouldn't be swallowed and it's hard to watch but I found it incredibly effective.

Swallow is wonderful example of slowly building psychological distress and simultaneously a display of Bennett's skill. This is going to be a really unpleasant experience for a lot of people but if you can appreciate the exploration of the psyche then you may just enjoy the journey this takes you on.