Agree with you guys. This is an awfully chipper review for such a grim subject, it sounds pieced together from what someone read elsewhere. And no mention of Alex's performance since he is the other lead? That's odd. I have not understood the no film festival stance on this one other than it doesn't allow Lurie to build buzz around whatever gossip he wants to use at the time to position it. If people saw it early and were like meh, it wouldn't fly.
This line was also def in another review:
"It's an ambivalent, tough scene that says a lot about feminism, power struggles in couples and highlights that actresses (in real life and on film) are a loopy bunch"
If I remember it correctly it's either from the review of Roger Ebert for the original Straw Dogs or from someone (I can't remember right now) who used this review as reference for his own. I've definitely read it in a bit longer review before.