This short review appeared on The Upcoming website here.
In Bloom, directed by Nana
Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross was Georgia’s official entry for the 2013
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won Best Film at the 2013 Hong
Kong International Film Festival.
It is a dark, realist tale set in
1992 about two friends, Eka (Lika Babluani) and Natia (Mariam Bokeria), trying
to survive adolescence and marriage in a fiercely patriarchal society of
Tbilisi, Georgia. The film is a bleak view of life in Georgia with a clear
focus on the violence seething just underneath the surface of everyday life –
the sudden appearance of a gun seems to shock no one. Eka and Natia do suffer,
but they are completely defiant and, crucially, independent of the cruel
masculine world around them. That the film’s traditional narrative ultimately
plays out in an unexpected direction is both a statement of the originality of
the filmmakers and the honesty of their feminist agenda.
As far as the mechanics of the
plot go, it is not overly unique, but it works on the intensity of its
performances and the toughness and integrity of its approach. It is beautifully
shot, the handheld camera discovering and lingering on moments of aesthetic
beauty as it goes, finding beauty in images of breadlines and urban decay. It
is passionate, socially aware filmmaking with complex long takes capturing raw
humanity more evocatively than most documentaries. It is also pleasantly
optimistic where it could have been depressing.
The performances are very good,
particularly non-professional young actors Babluani and Bokeria, who bring more
experience, emotion and honesty in their roles than their ages (14 during
filming) would suggest possible. They demand and maintain one’s attention and
empathy throughout.
In the end, the film is a rich,
realistic and moving story about friendship and defiance.
A longer review is available here.
No comments:
Post a Comment