lauriedelpino

I beg to differ with the previous reviewer. My feeling from the very outset of viewing this psychological thriller was that I had better keep my intellect sharp throughout the film as the plot twists and turns were plentiful and not obvious. I feel that the lead actress who plays May, Athena, does a powerful job of keeping us on the edge of our seats with her intense and quite convincing psychological pain. To be in a situation where you would not be believed about your observations about a person in power (Eric Roberts) would cause intense angst ; which she clearly showed. This is definitely a movie that intelligent and emotionally evolved individuals would appreciate. To be able to "keep present" with the pain and obvious "detachment from self" that the main character was going through takes both mental and emotional stamina. As Mirabai Starr, the author of The Dark NIght of the Soul would say to May -" step around the poisonous vipers that slither at your feet, attempting to throw you off your course. Be bold. Be humble. ... Ask no permission from the authorities. Slip away." from The Interior Castle by Mirabai Starr. Unfortunately, May was unable to "slip away". The Doctor, played by Eric Roberts certainly convinced me that he was a devious, sick psychiatrist using and abusing his authority to get into the minds of his helpless victims and even attempt to pin murders on them in their vulnerable states. It actually brings forward a very important issue in society today; the abuse of Doctors in positions of power. People like May go to Doctors to get help and assume these Doctors are ethical. It's obviously not always the case. After all, there are always "jackals" out there. In conclusion, this movie really made me think. I thought the directing was excellent, I was totally convinced of the sick nature of the Doctor played by Eric Roberts and Athena was a very convincing vulnerable psychiatric patient. As a former English Professor, I would love to have my students view this thriller to see if they can untangle the multiple levels of plots and talk about the need for more checks and balances in mental health professionals.