409. Body Of Water; movie review

 

 

BODY OF WATER

Cert 15

92 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, drug misuse, eating disorder theme

No parent wants to be put in a situation in which they are having to be cruel to be kind to their children.

So, our hearts bled for Amanda Burton's character, Susan, in Lucy Brydon's powerful and upsetting drama Body Of Water.

Susan has had to send daughter Stephanie (Sian Brooke) into rehab because she suffers from anorexia nervosa and is endangering her own life.

In Body Of Water, Stephanie has completed her treatment and is seeking to rebuild ties with a family she has clearly let down again and again.

Fierce resentment comes from her daughter, Pearl (Fabienne Piolini-Castle) who wants nothing more to do with a mother who she believes has abandoned her.

Brydon's film pulls no punches and doesn't offer victims or villains. It presents a simple fact that eating disorders not only wreck the life of the victim but also all of those around them.

Stephanie lives in a constant state of denial that her chronic anorexia is dominating her and, therefore, fails to address its root cause.

True, she attends therapy sessions with her nurse (Nick Blood) but she is lured by pro-anorexia websites and pushes food around her plate.

Meanwhile, it is clear that her mum has spent many years supporting her but the pressures have become too much and she requires 'me' time.

Thus, she is determined not to be deflected from planning for her upcoming wedding.

Pearl, who lives with her grandmother, is too young to understand that her mother needs more parental help than she does.

In addition, Stephanie is so desperate for love that she becomes susceptible to exploitation.

Brooke is excellent in the lead role although both Mrs W and I worried that she had lost too much weight for a role which requires alarming body shots.

Burton and Piolini are entirely believable even if their characters seem a tad unfeeling towards the tragedy which is unfolding.

Reasons to watch: A serious subject well tackled

Reasons to avoid: Harrowing scenes

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Anorexia nervosa is the most fatal mental health disorder. It has an estimated mortality rate of around 10 per cent.

The final word. Lucy Brydon: "Anorexia runs in my family. It was really only when I experienced it myself in my early twenties that I truly understood it. Furthermore, I would go so far as to say the majority of my female friends – and some male – have had issues with eating disorders or body dysmorphia at some time or other. It raises serious questions about how and why this keeps happening, particularly amongst women. "

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