Imprisoned by Love

I cannot wait until this film is available for all to see, as it should be required viewing.

Yes, I liked this film. Being in the business helps me have a different perspective, as I focus not just on character development, but on the production quality and value.

"Imprisoned by Love" might be an "Indie" film, but it has a large-studio feel.

Production quality was superb. Editing and sound, lighting, make-up hair and wardrobe, and cinematography all came together to form a cohesive, enjoyable, easy to watch film.

As to content and story, the message is powerful and moving. The audience laughed, cringed, and maybe shed a small tear or two.

Two thumbs up.

Watching a film centering on domestic abuse from a spouse or family member has never been easy to watch as many of these films draw inspiration from true events one goes through. However, films like this I understand can tap into a certain relatablity that could help someone find the courage to find a way out of this abusive scenario. The film Imprisoned by Love opens the door of how to address a abusive marriage, but slowly merges from a heartfelt idea to a problematic melodrama that goes borderline goofball.

Tracey is a woman married to her husband Troy of 17 years living with their two daughters. When we are introduced to the couple, we find out early on that this is not the first time Tracey has been beaten by her husband and her closest family and friends try to help out of this marriage before it becomes deadly.

One thing I can admit is the films heart is in the right place, but the problem is it never gives solid solutions. The biggest issue I have is there is no real established relationship for the couple prior to the abuse. Had the film established the couples relationship, I would feel the devastation of the husbands actions, but instead we are left with one dimensional characters with no real sense of who they are and how they make their decisions in the sake of their marriage.

The husband is easily the worst thing about this movie. Not just in the sense of him being a abuser, but the way he is written and acted. Imagine every abuser cliché (controlling, eye twitching, and mean one second and I'm sorry the other) all rolled into one. The dialogue is so strangely disconnected from feeling believable as some of the characters talk like they are speaking to the audience in a unconvincing form and don't feel like they are speaking to each other. In a film where the the parents are the center of the story, it's said that the children actors seem better even with the stiled dialogue. And the tone is all over the place with even having one emotional scene happen in the second half, and seconds later cut to those same characters laughing together and this happens more than once.

If Imprisoned by Love taught me anything, it's that good intentions doesn't equal to good storytelling. It's technically sloppy, and the acting ranges from a mixed bag to outright unengaged. Hopefully it touched someone out there, but for those unfamiliar, there's better out there.

Rating: 3.3 / 10

This movie was so inspiring in the beginning and around all of it till the end. Her sister going to prison to save her life. I feel that. So.many women don't and now won't want to go get help or the people you love will go to prison. As a woman that got dunked underwater, held to under a pillow until I couldn't breathe, a lot of times got beat for 11 years every other day. And finally got away with my kids. Thank God and I'm going to have to go to prison. I've never been so sad and hurt by a movie. I cried for over an hour straight after the movie was over because of it. I've never cried over a movie before. Women that has been abused. Shouldn't have to worry about asking for help. But just kind of make them scared to.

But a bad delivery of it with poor acting, equally poor writing/directing just took the life out of this movie. There were plenty of face palming scenarios that had me thinking this should have been a comedy, but it was just bad everything about this project.

I gave it a two rating to match the sophomoric effort put forth to make this mess. Bad sound editing, bad lighting, and the actors were just bad period. It's a shame that a movie with such a powerful message could get it so wrong in the delivery. The sets didn't look lived in and the down ward spiral of the abusive husband was a cardboard cut-out stereotype.

I almost gave this a slight pass when the ending revealed that this was from the perspective of the daughter and her first stab at writing about her experience with domestic violence.

From beginning to end excellent writing, storyline and acting di a great job at bringing awareness to physical/verbal abuse hoping it will encourage the person to get out while they can and seek help. The abuser should seek help for drinking/drugs/battery inflicted on his/her loved ones.

Once the victim has recognized and find strength to lave they should seek assistance, treatment as well. Seek a safe place for her and her children.

While many may not agree, the children or child should also be afforded counseling too, as this will be an incident or incidents that will remain throughout their lifetime.