Review of Grbavica

Please stay away from any potential source of spoilers for this prior to your initial viewing. This is a compelling piece, and I hope everyone who is mature enough for it will watch it. It is about a mother and daughter in Bosnia, trying to make ends meet after the end of the Balkan war. You do not need to have much, if any, prior knowledge of the country or culture to appreciate this. Zbanic directs it with great skill, nothing is excessive, it all fits perfectly, and a lot is gone into in 90 consistently well-paced minutes. Anyone reluctant to try foreign films ought to give this one a chance. This can help prove that not only the West can produce accessible movies. I understand that some feel that this takes sides in the conflict, but I cannot claim to concur with that. And in fact, this is such a universal story of pain and struggle that it can be applied to countless other locations around the world. If any finger-pointing can be claimed to occur in this, it is towards battle. The character are all well-written, credible and well-developed. Every acting performance is completely spot-on. Karanovic as the overworked Esma and Mijovic as the rebellious, tomboy-ish Sara are spellbinding. Music is well-chosen. The editing and cinematography are excellent. This gripping tragedy engages the audience, and emotionally affects us without being manipulative. I am not aware of dubs, and in any case I suggest just accepting the subtitles. Not understanding a word of what was spoken, I can't say for sure about the amount; however, I believe there is at least a little strong language. There is brief nudity and arguably sexuality, as well as disturbing content, in this. I recommend this warmly to any fans of drama who are old enough. 8/10