This particular movie was one that I choose to see on my afternoon off from work today. It probably wasn't the best choice for me to see due to the line of work I am in (especially since I was trying to get away from doing anything work related); however, if there is any movie that was ever appropriate for me to see because of my line of work would be this one.
The movie had received 4 nominations for Oscars and I can certainly see why. The
"Fox Searchlight" website gave a lot of information on the site, as well explanatives about obsessive relationships and stalking.
When the movie spanned in the beginning, you knew that something was up when you viewed this woman's bookshelves filled with journals upon journals that were extremely well organized. The older woman then becomes the narrator as you get glimpses into her journaling about her new "friendship" with this new co-teacher at their school.
Strangeness is further demonstrated by drops of clues - such as the report she writes for her school principal about the history department being only one page, for instance, while she loves to write pages upon pages in her journals at home. Certainly, these clues don't set right and leave you a bit puzzled.
Eerie too, besides being obsessive about relationships and stalking her newest victim, was her seemingly lonliness looking into a possibility of more than just a friendship with this woman. Not enough information was divulged in the film insofar about her past relationships (whether they were indeed heterosexual or homosexual in nature) or whether it was just her lonliness and age making her seemingly obsessively swaying to the same sex relationships. Not to undermine the movie, but this question seems to be left as an unknown.
In the meantime, I won't tell you much more about the relationship; however, if you have found yourself in obsessive or stalking relationships, you might want to also explore these websites:
Love Me Not
Stalking Behavior
Stalking Victims
Stalking Assistance
Halt Abuse
Cyber Angels
National Center for Victims of Crime
Anti-Stalking
Safety Education
If you know of some other good resources, please let me know.
In the meantime, if you have been a victim of stalking or an obsessive relationship, this movie might spook you a bit and/or give you an eerie feeling; however, I do feel that this movie was well done and well worth the matinee ticket.
