xlon

I've seen this movie a few times and each time I'm more troubled and impressed. It appears to be about an independent community, certainly a cult but ALL I see is a rare and brilliant reflection about religions. It may have not been intended this way but this is my perception. I can hear your bashing but I have to say it: central figure demanding total submission from the parishioners, total control of the leader, believe and don't research, ideological excuses for horrific crimes against disobedient parishioners and humans, second rank status for women, lies, fabricated reality, extreme manipulation, polygamy, pure deprivation and no moral standards, etc.The movie show them all in a very subtle but direct way. he casting is amazing. Jeremy's instinctive resilience to the abuse is unique and central to the movie. Movies are supposed to make you feel and think and not offer you on a plate solutions and closure. So-called critics: shush! It may be just my pre-disposition for deeper analysis and thoughts but the link to my reality is so strong and I can't ignore it. On top of my preferences and I've seen thousands (I have a taste for movies that really say something meaningful about the human nature). Be gentle!

People from outside the Eastern European Block don't understand that this contradicting reality is the truth. I know because they doubted my stories from Romania when I was forced to wake up at 5-6AM and wait in line for 1-2 hours to get 2 kg of milk during the 70's and the 80's. I had no reason to lie because I was making a good living in Toronto for decades and I needed no sympathy for my early life. The critics' approach looks pretentious and arrogant to me. I know why they think this way but they shouldn't judge what they don't understand. This is the reality today in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, etc and even worst in Russia. Romanians got stoned during the gay pride in recent years and this is impossible to digest by the ignorant Americans. Nothing is new in this world and the story was told before. The idea of the movie was to show people discovering their true identity, the struggle and the beauty/ugliness in their relationships. A unique experience in one's life, if you are lucky, that gives clarity. Otherwise, it's just meaningless living. I think it was captured brilliantly, despite the unqualified critics and minor flows. This movie is only for the people that accept the complexity of the human nature. Period.