MovieChat Forums > Dreams of a Life (2012) Discussion > her abuser should be charged with mansla...

her abuser should be charged with manslaughter

posted 12 years ago by southardemily
5 replies | jump to latest

Okay, so regardless of how you felt about this as a documentary, I enjoyed it just for the attention it brought to this victim, who was unable to function and develop relationships due to abuse. It also provided insight into the general concept of one's relationships, legacy, and life in general. SO, i thank these filmmakers for that.
I find this story to be tragic, and that our main problem in modern society is the lack of empathy for individuals who are basically forced to be social outcasts. Her abuser should be charges, legislation should be passed, and we all should work to be more accepting, caring, and empathetic.

ps- death is not the end, the end is when you no longer impact the world for the better

[–] hilaryjrp 12 years ago

I've been thinking about this documentary, and my opinion of it has changed--but just slightly. I agree with much of what you say and now think that by concentrating on superficiality to so great an extent, the filmmaker accidentally--unintentionally --created a portrait of someone extremely troubled. The problem is that this achievement seems accidental.

Until someone points to an interview where my assumption is corrected, it's impossible to consider the documentary one that attempted consciously to understand its subject.

[–] Mrs_Mills 12 years ago

This was pretty much the conclusion that I formed after much research into her life. For me ultimately this was a story of a woman in an domestically abusive relationship who went into hiding and unfortunately died at that untimely moment. The filmmaker severely under-emphasises this aspect in order to create mystery, intrigue and suspense by turning the focus onto the superficialities of the subject's life.

Nicole Kidman is heavier on eyeshadow than emotion - The Paperboy Review, Variety

[–] TristramShandy 12 years ago

That was an underdone part of the movie. As you see the timeline that is being put together by the director (I assume), you see the references to "the Polish guy" at the time that they are covering her potential abuse. It seems like a part of the story that could have been looked into more. How hard would it have been to either find him or find out more about him?

As for the OP's statement about the inability to function and develop relationships due to abuse, the Polish guy comes in pretty late into her life - - 1998 I believe, which would have been when she was 33 years old. She had the chance to keep the two relationships she had that are documented before that. So, was the director trying to imply that her dad may have abused her? It seemed to be portrayed more as neglect on his part. I know some will consider that to be abuse, but I never got a sense from the director that there was a known abuse prior to her being in her 30s.

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I am the one who knocks.

[–] ChloeBird808 11 years ago

Funnily enough I read in an interview somewhere that Carol Morley tried to pin Joyce's Polish ex-fiance down (via interview), but he refused to go on camera. It seemed that Carol could never pin him down as he kept avoiding her. Not only that the police never interviewed this guy making this even more chilling. Alarm bells are truly ringing when you look at the bigger picture of Joyce's final years and it all ties into that Polish guy who abused her.

I strongly believe Joyce's friends when they say she was murdered. That's what I thought at the end of the film.

[–] andyd-1 10 years ago

impossible, there's no witness or complainant, the accused just has to say he did nothing, the 'second hand' witnesses can be dismissed as having heard an untruth that can no longer be cross-examined.

On top of that she died of natural causes, there is no unlawful killing to investigate.