Murina

The director and the actors did a great job getting the feelings of each person on the surface. Suddenly, in the so-called East democracies we live along with the referred in the film stereotypes. A fair criticism to the patriarchal family which oppresses mainly the female members whose unhappiness inevitably drives to a miserable if not unloving family. See the twenty-first century shame through the eyes of a girl which is taught to suppress it's freedom... but decides to claim the happiness everyone stole her... Deserved the awards it got, beautiful landscapes. The ending left me feeling optimistic!

I enjoyed this film. The picture and scenery looked stunning. The acting was pretty good overall.

But at the same time, I felt this film lacked proper character development, given its subject. The story is about a controlling father and his relationship with his daughter and our main hero Julija. But here is the thing - Julija is shown as very much her own person right from the start. She has a no-nonsense attitude and is happy to tell-off anyone (including her father) whenever she feels like it. If anything, at times it felt like her mother was actually the controlling parent with her constant remarks ("please wear this dress", "please don't speak" and so on).

Since Julija was in command from the start, the whole climax of the film felt rather pointless, or at least disengaging. We already knew she was independent.

Writer/Director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic's debut feature is all it could be from a director who also used to dive in the film's idyllic Croatian coast setting.

This films builds on the director's underwater camera work in her enjoyable short Into the Blue (2017), and in acting and screen presence of actress Gracija Filipovic. This feature was in fact written with this teenage actor/non-actor in mind after the short. Gracia was 12 yr old then and showed promise and shines 4 years later in this character study.

The story has strong writing as it tackles teenage rebellion, family and relationship dynamics with evolving dreams of love, sexuality, freedom and purpose.

The father, mother and daughter relationships are complicated in this small village and when a wealthy, well-travelled long-time friend comes to spend some time with the family, much is revealed of the desires and dissatisfactions of all three family members.

The directing, cinematography and editing of this evolving drama are so strong that every shot of the 96 min movie is a pleasure. The acting is nuanced and elevated from the four leads. The underwater shots are beautiful and tell the story with images, sounds and occasional music. The first and final long shots of the movie tell a tight story visually that induce emotions viscerally and intellectually.

It is no surprise that the film won Camera d'Or at Cannes and over 20 other awards in 65 film festival worldwide.

Looking forward to Antoneta's next film which centers on a mother and daughter relationship and perhaps also catching some of her previous shorts, including If We Must Die (2016).

In short, this is a melancholic, beautiful drama with stunning cinematography and deft directing. A simple story with substance. Highly recommended.

Adolescence is a time for finding oneself, especially when it comes to our sense of personal power. That's rarely easy, but it can be especially difficult for a teenage girl trapped in a household with a chauvinistic father, a condition not uncommon in many traditional Eastern European households. Such is the fate of a quiet but independently minded Croatian adolescent who longs for freedom from under the thumb of her domineering dad and capitulating mother. But the potential for profound change arises when a wealthy old friend of her father pays a visit to their coastal fishing village, one that could transform her life and that of her mother, provided they have the courage to act on it. Director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic's debut feature from Executive Producer Martin Scorsese presents an intense, intimate character study of an individual's search for empowerment in the face of oppressing odds and confusing circumstances that, like the clandestine behavior of the moray eels she and her father routinely hunt, deceptively conceal much of what's actually going on. This winner of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival Golden Camera Award for best first feature simmers slowly but builds tension well, engaging viewers handily, despite some repetitive narrative elements and occasional "atmospheric" camera work whose deliberate murkiness goes a little overboard in metaphorically depicting the intended character of the story. A number of films with themes similar to those explored here have emerged from this region in recent years, such as "Hive" (2021) and "God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya" (2019). That's an indication that there's a need for the expression of these notions, and, thankfully, filmmakers have successfully risen to the occasion, making the world more aware about conditions for women desperately in need of reform.

Outstanding and well directed story which unfortunately didn't totally convince me due to some setting/plot and acting weakness. I won't spoil the storyline/script problems I found (I assume the english subbing was faithful): they are not really important but prevented me to fully enjoy the film.

G. Filipovic, the absolute protagonist - though a talented mediterranean beauty and a pleasure to watch (the writer/director agrees and indulges in a lot of revealing swimsuit shots) - doesn't always show a proper range. In some instances either fails to convince (not conveying the dramatic tension required in some scenes) or gets out of character (turning from silly girl to wise housewife to plotting homewrecker and back with too much ease) - proving that eyes actually lie.

Overall though, a very good drama about a family living in a secluded villa on the croatian coastline, and inexorably disintegrating when an affluent friend considers investing in the land.

As an insignificant side note: I'd have likely never watched this movie if it hadn't won the Cannes' "camera d'or" prize over "Rien a foutre" which recently made a great impression on me. Another drama about a young woman. Another film that deserves to be watched - though IMO not in the same category.