Guiltrip,
Written and directed by Gerard Stenbridge
Opens nationally from January 30
Reviewed by Anne O'Callaghan
Guiltrip is Gerard Stenbridge's debut film. It is a chilling portrayal of the brutal psychological abuse endured by Tina (Jasmine Russell) at the hands of her army corporal husband, Liam (Andrew Connolly).
Connolly's character is a seething mass of repressed rage which he channels into running his household with the discipline of an army barracks. Tina is the victim of his maniacal need for control and must submit to dutifully recording and abiding by strict rules dictated by him and preserved in the Standing Orders Book. "A little bit of discipline does no harm", he reminds her.
Skilfully employing flashbacks, Guiltrip covers the events of a single day to unravel the secret, commensurate with their respective character, which each seeks to withhold from the other. Stenbridge is fascinated by the secrets that people keep and their reasons for doing so — guilt, fear or the need for retaining some space that is yours alone?
The script is an intricate weaving of characters and scene, timing and circumstance. The character of Liam tends to dominate yet not quite overshadow the other fine performances delivered by Russell, Michelle Houlden as Michelle and Peter Hanley as Robbie, described by Stenbridge as "the best of the new generation of Irish talent".
The film was first released in 1995 in the volatile prelude to Ireland's referendum on the right to divorce last November. Opponents of divorce, who campaigned under the slogan "Hello divorce, goodbye Daddy", were narrowly defeated in vote which registered 50.3% support for overturning the 58-year ban on divorce, legitimated and defended by the Catholic Church. Severe restrictions apply however, including the requirement that couples be separated for four years before a divorce is granted.
The right to divorce is critical for women such as Tina caught in a grim cycle of psychological assault, alternating between savage verbal abuse and deceiving moments of tenderness and remorse. With no independent financial means and the full-time carer of the couple's child, Tina is trapped in a relationship with tragic consequences. To the crooning lyrics of "Because I love you in my own particular way", Tina dances in a soft embrace with the husband who is also her tormenter. Guiltrip is, among other things, a particularly stark and powerfully delivered reminder that the right of women to remove themselves from violent situations, verbal or physical, is a fundamental right indeed.