This brilliant and complex drama is a must-watch for anyone feeling bored, lost, or disconnected from their dreams within a relationship. Sooner or later, many of us—often women—reflect on the life we’ve lived. We compare our reality to the dreams we had in our youth, before marriage and children. These are the very struggles faced by the film’s protagonist, played by Kate Winslet.
She questions how it came to be that she and her husband abandoned their dreams and desires, now walking a path that feels foreign and unbearable to them.
April firmly believes her husband is a talented man stifled by life in a small provincial town. She decides on a daring plan: move to another city, allow her husband to unleash his talent, and pursue his passion, radically transforming their lives. She’s thought it through and made her decision. A brilliant plan that simply requires stepping outside societal norms and stereotypes.
The film is strongly characterized by the protagonist’s line: "We’re prisoners of the same ridiculous delusion that once children arrive, we must settle down and bury ourselves alive."
This woman tries to prove to herself and the world that children and family are not a reason to abandon dreams of a happy future. Yet it seems the only person who understands her is her neighbor’s son, who is being treated in a local psychiatric hospital. A hilarious character devoid of all societal stereotypes about "proper" behavior.
The entire film follows this family’s struggle for their dreams, as April and her husband face different obstacles: judgment and misunderstanding from loved ones, acquaintances, and society; various temptations, fears, and much more. Each member of the couple confronts these barriers in their own way.
I think the film will be especially useful and interesting for those experiencing a relationship crisis or turning 40.
It offers both valuable advice and cautionary lessons. Watch it, reflect on your own life, and draw conclusions based on April’s and her family’s experiences.
You can also read a review of this film here: https://upsihologa.com.ua/obzor/film-156
