MEN DON'T TELL

A husband named Ed (Peter Strauss) gets arrested for nearly killing his wife Laura (Judith Light). While being questioned by the police, it turns out he isn't the abuser, his wife is. We then get a series of flashbacks from each time Ed has been abused by his wife. I really like where this plot is going and I enjoy the twist on who the abuser really is and the reactions to the people who hear the story is probably the same reaction a man would get in real life. The film's pacing is also really good and really brings you into the story.

Our two stars are both great for their roles. Ok, I'll admit it's nothing Oscar worthy or Emmy worthy for that matter (Even if Strauss was nominated for a Golden Globe) but for a TV film, it's still good acting. When I see Strauss as the victim, I feel for him, I feel his pain and struggle on how to deal with this crazy women. In fact the things that happen to him and the reasons why he's holding back is perhaps what an honest man would do in a situation. I really feel bad for this character more than I feel bad for his two kids that witness some of these events. Judith Light as the crazy abusive Mother, first of all, a lot of us know her in the show "Who's The Boss" (Who ironically is a divorced advertising executive since one of the films themes deals with Divorce) and to compare her performance from that show to this is kind of hard to believe. In fact even in the beginning she doesn't look that bad. As the film progresses this Wife becomes so crazy, abusive and emotionally unstable that you feel uncomfortable when you're around her. You don't know when she's going to burst or strike which makes our main character even more helpless. I'm not saying her performance is scary or thrilling, it's very mild but she does without a doubt come off as unsettling. The rest of the cast members are good for their roles but it's really our two stars who takes the spotlight away from these characters.



While having a good story and good acting, the film is not all that impressive. The score while being appropriate for the scenes, it still has a bit of a corny sound to it. It's almost as close to that corny music that you hear in "Full House". The cinematography doesn't give or bring any atmosphere or neat shots, it's just bland and just makes the film look like a Soap Opera. As I said earlier, the film does have good pacing and really pulls you into the story but the filming techniques don't give the film any atmosphere, it just looks bland.

Overall, aside from the film suffering from a bland and a bit of a corny atmosphere, it still has good acting and a story with a great twist on a married person with an abusive partner. However, with that said, it's still nothing special, but it is an engaging watch.

RATING 3/5