Filmfestivalen 2017

The film is absolutely stunning. Beautiful scenery and gorgeous set design, expertly framed. The actors are equally well paced, being as anti-hammy and minimalistic as the general tone of the film. The downplaying fits well with the time periods covered. And there is a time span. Audrey Tautou plays 17 year old Valentine, as well as 25, 40 and 50 years old, and she (and the make up department) certainly pulls it off. Same goes for Bérénice Béjo, though not as wide an age span.

However, there’s no story. Sure, people fall in love, get married, have children. People get sick, die, move on. Just like real life. But there’s no story, no character development, no obstacles they have to overcome. Just real life, only, you know, pretty.

Failed the Bechdel test

3 eggs of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/eternity

www.imdb.com/name/nm0870841/

Films from the former Yugoslavia are pretty much always about the war. Or have the war as a backdrop. Or deal with the aftermath of the war. And On the Milky Road is no different, at least in that respect. Of course, since it’s Kusturica, it’s not just grit and trenches and misery, but silliness, laughter, love and music.

It’s well-paced; often quick, never boring, and it slows down when it needs to. It feels like Rube Goldberg is in the works, both contraption-wise and in the chain of events that shape the stories. The landscape is stunning, there are some memorable acting performances (Sloboda Micalovic as Milena shines particularly bright) and every scene involving animals is dramatic, funny, beautiful or, you know, all of the above.

It’s not very coherent, though, and sometimes it feels that Kusturica is just being Kusturica for the sake of it. Still, highly entertaining.

Failed the Bechdel test

4 geese of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/on-the-milky-road

www.imdb.com/title/tt2800340/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1