ar_brierley

This series, Per Elisa (For Elisa), is a well made docudrama on the sad case of missing Italian teenager Elisa Claps. The details are accurate to the original, and was made with the consent of Elisa's family. The 6 episodes cover the circumstances around her disappearance, followed by the long struggle by family, in particular her eldest brother Guido, to get action from authorities into finding what really happened to Elisa. If you don't know the full story, I won't spoil it for you, but suffice to say that despite having a viable suspect from day 1, Elisa's family were repeatedly put off and let down by the apathy and incompetence of law enforcement, plus the legal and financial resources of the suspect's powerful family. This is a powerful story about a grieving family's struggle for justice, and how they never gave up, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Truly heartbreaking...

I enjoyed this film very much! It's nice to watch a movie that's gentle, kind and heartwarming, rather that full of noise and 'action'. Bill Nighy is, as always, outstanding in the lead role, I could really empathise with his situation, and feel what he was going through. The support cast is great too in their roles, and the production and set designs are very authentic and of their time from what I know. Thoroughly enjoyable film, with an uplifting message to it, although rather a tearjerker (for me, anyway). Wish there were more like it :-) .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ...... ...... ........ ......... ...... ...... ....... ...

'Luckiest Girl Alive' is an amazing and powerful story, which will sadly resonate with many women. Mila Kunis is awesome in the lead role of Ani, and Chiara Aurelia as her younger self gives a powerful and authentic performance. The movie is based on the book of the same name by Jessica Knoll, which was supposedly 'fiction' but which was in fact based on her own personal experience of being gang raped as a teenager. The depth of her pain, suffering and humiliation at the hands of others is evident in the film, and is superbly portrayed by the 2 women. This movie should come with a warning, as its stark realism may trigger those who've been the victim of sexual assault. Congratulations to all involved in this brave film.