I can't tell you how many women I know, myself included, who has survived sexual abuse and in just about every case there is shame, loss and silencing. I was molested by a family member as a child, and I carried that with me for years. I still carry it with me and it's totally molded me into a different version of myself I always imagined I could have been had that not been the start of the downhill snowball effect in my life. My family swept it under the rug for the most part, and I saw my molester on a regular basis after that as if nothing ever happened. It was a family member, you see. All's fair in family and abuse, right?
In any case, I am so, so glad that this movie was made and my hope is that it somehow becomes similar to a balm or loving blanket of acceptance to every single person that has ever been the victim of sexual abuse. Mila was perfectly cast in this role. She brought so much strength, vulnerability, and realness to Ani as she went through all the lows and highs we were taken through over the course of the film.
I certainly love that last "pow" we got to experience at the end. Though it was a great way to end the movie, keep in mind this is a movie after all so it was necessary to kind of bring a sense of closure and triumph to our hero, Ani. Keep in mind though that in life, there are always naysayers, non-believers of your truth and people that question if what happened was really as bad as what you say it was/is. Unfortunately, in real life you don't always get that vindication at the end like Ani did. There won't always be a "moment."
