2 Paws
Seen recently at the Dundee Theatre (still musty, still open)
The Albanian countryside is hauntingly beautiful, but this depiction of life within it is bleak and unforgiving. The old ways still rule, even though they make no sense to the outside observer in 2012.
In its best moments (and there aren't a whole lot of them), the film conjures up images of The Godfather - old men with guns sitting around smoking and drinking while plotting the appropriate course of action after someone's been offed. In its worst moments, it's a bit of a yawner. I'm guessing the brooding monotony is purposeful to reflect the family's isolation, but it doesn't make for good movie watching. The only characters I connected with were the resourceful Rudina (Sindi Lacej), the sister who has to quit school to pilot her family's rickety bread wagon around town, and Klinsman, the sturdy old horse who makes the wagon go.
Bonus Bones: 2
Two Albanian dogs get a few moments of screen time - the guard dog outside the house and the barker riding around on top of a vehicle in the street scene where Rudina is in search of cigarettes (to sell, not smoke).
No comments:
Post a Comment