Grbavica

I was fortunate enough to see this wonderful film at the Melbourne International Film Festival where it seemed to receive a positive reaction from the large audience.

Jasmila Zbanic has written and directed a film that is powerful enough to speak to a global audience. Even as a twenty-something Australian male, I was able to relate to the struggle of a middle-aged Bosnian woman because of the strength of Zbanic's storytelling and the superb acting.

I was particularly astonished by Mirjana Karanovic's performance and would be thrilled to see her acknowledged at Oscar time next year. She captured Esma's internal conflicts perfectly and brought many audience members to tears. Luna Mijovic was also very good as Sara, shifting with ease between adolescent rage and childlike vulnerability.

Zbanic should be applauded for crafting a film that reminds us that the wounds of war leave deep scars. While Zbanic's script may not be "perfect", the humanity of her message is strong enough to leave us feeling grateful for the gift of love. At a time when the global political climate is in such tumult, films like this remind us to appreciate the loving relationships we have, despite the baggage they may come with.

This little film drew me in with it's central characters, a Mother who was a war survivor,who had been in the P.O.W. camps in Sarajevo (played to perfection by Mirjana Karanovic), and her daily struggle to keep her head above water, with a thankless job in a cocktail bar, and with the daily battle with her adolescent daughter, Sara (played by Luna Mijovic). The two women share a love/hate relationship that will easily tear at your heart at times. This is not always an easy film to watch, but is an easy film to appreciate. First time writer/director Jasmila Zbanic works well with the cast,drawing just enough emotion to make this a heartbreaking, but satisfying experience.

Highly recommended.

Sarajevo is a raped city, Bosnia is a raped country and the culprit, although known, has never been convicted. How a person, and a nation, finds a strength to overcome the injustice? Very difficult, sometimes impossible.

I hoped and prayed that Sarajevo has that strength, and still do, however, this movie showed me how heavy the burden is. It is personal, a message to each one of the viewers to try to put themselves in victim's shoes and see how they would cope. Hard core stuff. The film tries to put on a positive spin at the end, however, it wasn't that convincing, I am afraid.

Mira Karanovic is absolutely stunning!

'Grbavica' is yet another superlative film coming from Bosnia. Firmly walking in the footsteps of Bosnian Best Foreign Language Film winner 'No Man's Land', the film trails a promising future for the fledging Bosnian film industry. This small, understated production is the proof-positive of the vibrancy of the Eastern European Cinema. A pioneering feature effort by the writer/director Jasmila Zbanic, the film has already been accoladed the prestigious Golden Bear at this year's Berlin International Film Festival and is sure to be a strong contender when it hits International festival circuit.

Ms Zbanic has created a quiet, sentimental and feminine picture of the war's aftermath and the emotional toll the war inflicts on a mother/daughter relationship. She assuredly, with a hand of a born film-maker, creates a small but potent film which is a startling reminder of cinema's transcendental powers.

'Grbavica' is sure to snuggle in the same underrated niche of anti-war movies that deal with lasting trauma on the psyche of war survivors. Movies like Hal Ashby's unforgettable 'Coming Home' or Russian 1959's classic 'Balad of a Soldier'.

The picture's lasting impact owes much to the haunting performance of Mirjana Karanovic, a consummate artist who has, for over a decade, been the most decorated and awarded actress coming from war-torn former Yugoslavia. In Esma, Mirjana has entered the body and soul of a tormented war victim with a dark secret, and thus given us yet another performance to talk about. Her daughter Sara is expertly played by the little Luna Mijovic in a film debut reminiscent of Natalie Portman's career-launching role in Luc Besson's 'The Professional'.

Variety's Russell Edwards pinpointed film's main shortcoming: '...the film is all set up and little pay off'. Indeed, although well-rounded and balanced, 'Grbavica' lacks complexity and dramatic density. A story thread is missing, a counterpoint of sorts, that would have enriched its thematic appeal and elevated its dramatic tension.

Even the best of war movies, intentionally or not, on some level or another could be seen as one-sided and propagandist. It took more than a hundred years of cinema for a film-maker to come along who realized this inherent danger in making war movies. 'Flags Of Our Fathers' is a solid war movie with a strong anti-war message. But who could blame some Japanese for seeing it as anti-Japanese. That's why the old man Clint, creating cinematic history, has given us 'Letters of Iwo Jima', the version of the same battle seen through the Japanese point-of-view.

Unspeakable atrocities are committed in any war. It would be idealistic if not idiotic to expect that a humane war could ever be waged. Both sides commit them, the stronger always more than the weaker. Had Ms. Zbanic weaved a story thread that would have touched upon this unfortunate reality, her subtle and soulful feature debut would have radiated universality of a true masterpiece.

This is Jasmila Zbanic's debut movie. It is about the painful aftermath of the Bosnian war and focuses on a Bosnian woman and her 12 years old daughter Sara. They are living in Grbavica, a quarter of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. Esma needs money to pay a school trip for Sara, even though a certificate proving that Sara's father was a war hero would allow her to join free.

The movie won the Golden Berlin Bear in 2006, the main character is beautifully interpreted by Mirjana Karanovic as well as the daughter by Luna Zimic Mijovic, the looming reality of post war is crudely represented, but I wouldn't say this is a masterpiece. It lacks the real density of the story and, apart from the two main characters, the others are just sketched.

However this director deserves much attention as the movie "Quo vadis, Aida" will lately prove.