The experience of Judy Malinowski, an Ohio woman who testified at her own murder trial, could have been made up in a stunning courtroom melodrama by novelist Jodie Piccolt. Instead, the themes of this true story—domestic her violence, her trauma, and her addictions—are explored in her candid documentary, The Fire That Take Her.
Based on interviews with Judy’s family, especially her mother Bonnie, the film tells the story of how Judy, a young mother of two daughters, begins a volatile relationship with a man named Michael Slager. According to Bonnie, Michael manipulated the family, enabling Judy’s drug addiction and casting himself as the savior while supplying her with heroin. He poured gasoline over her and set her on fire.
Miraculously, Judy survived almost two years after the attack, and documentaries frequently include footage from the hospital room where Judy resided and was treated. Director Patricia E. Gillespie said in an interview that when she was pitching the film, she was often asked if she could cover or blur Judy’s face to protect the audience from getting burned. I’m talking Gillespie refuses, and her determination to turn her camera on Judy gives her film an unwavering quality.
The testimony of detectives and lawyers on this case gives rise to many true crime clichés. But far more surprising and heartbreaking are the scenes of Bonnie with Judy’s daughters in his home, sitting around the kitchen table, talking about his mother’s battles over medicine and legislation. kindly report. Watching these girls struggle to understand the incomprehensible is a unique pain.
the flame that took her away
Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes. at the theater.