Domestic abuse is such a delicate subject that many filmmakers either gloss over it or use it as a plot device to show a mans brutal side, never tackling its complexities and grey areas. However, Spanish director Icíar Bollaín has bravely taken the topic as the focus of her movie, examining the breakdown of the marriage between battered wife Pilar (Marull) and Antonio (Tosar), her troubled husband who struggles to express his love for her.
Far from being a depressing experience, its romantic, funny and deeply inspirational. Bollaíns direction is delicate throughout, her depiction of the abuse minimal yet powerful. The performances from Marull and Tosar, meanwhile, are superbly nuanced, carefully tweaking your emotions until they ensure that Take My Eyes is one of the most moving films youll see this year.