First of all I would like to say that I am surprised with the abundance of negative reviews of this movie. I would assume that people who went to see it have an open mind towards foreign films, but somehow this one just failed to strike the right chords with them. At the same time, I might have the advantage that most western viewers won't have, I was born and brought up in Georgia, so I am intimately familiar with the ethnic tension in the region. I also happen to be an ethnic Georgian, which makes it easier for me to empathize with the main characters.
The story is about a young man named Gio. Still haunted by the memories of his mother's death and having been brought up by a powerful, perhaps even overbearing father, he seems to be rather apathetic. He has some sort of a void in his soul that he is looking to fill. He seems to have finally found what he was looking for when he falls in love with a prostitute Jana (who is subtly hinted not to be Georgian). His closest friend, Gogliko, and his step-mother seem to be supportive of the relationship, since they can see that Gio is happy. However, his other friends are openly against it, fearing Gio's father. And rightfully so. When Gio's father finds out his son is about to have a child with a prostitute, he kicks her out of the house and forces her to get an abortion.
This tragic love story is presented to us mostly as flashbacks, and gives clues to the source of the main character's apathy. The main content of the film is dedicated to what is supposed to be a short two-day drug run involving Gio and Gogliko. However, the two get stranded and end up in one of the Caucasus's numerous hot spots - Karabakh. They are first captured by an Azeri patrol, but following an escape attempt by the Armenian POW's, Gio ends up with the Armenians, while Gogliko stays behind with the Azeris. From that point on the stage is set and the movie focuses more on Gio's character. As he befriends the Armenians, he finds himself more their captive than their guest, and eventually what seemed to be a pleasant stay turns into one full of tension and Gio is forced to find a way to get back to his friend Gogliko and return home. Especially telling is the progression of how one Armenian soldier first shows a lot of respect for the Georgian but later the ethnic prejudices take their toll and the two eventually get into a fistfight. As Gio escapes he finds Gogliko having a good time with the Azeris. The two head home and that's when Gio finds out what his father did to his girlfriend in his absence. Gio falls into depression. At this point we realize that perhaps the desire to get home and to save his friend was really about getting back to the woman he loved.
There is a lot more to this movie. Most characters are well developed and even their subtle actions tell us a lot about them. Misha Meskhi is excellent as Gogliko, though he might not be appreciated as much by those who don't understand Georgian, since a lot of humor gets lost in translation. Levan Doborjginidze is good as brooding Gio, but in the end I don't feel much sympathy for his character.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is familiar with the region, and to everyone with an open mind.
The story is about a young man named Gio. Still haunted by the memories of his mother's death and having been brought up by a powerful, perhaps even overbearing father, he seems to be rather apathetic. He has some sort of a void in his soul that he is looking to fill. He seems to have finally found what he was looking for when he falls in love with a prostitute Jana (who is subtly hinted not to be Georgian). His closest friend, Gogliko, and his step-mother seem to be supportive of the relationship, since they can see that Gio is happy. However, his other friends are openly against it, fearing Gio's father. And rightfully so. When Gio's father finds out his son is about to have a child with a prostitute, he kicks her out of the house and forces her to get an abortion.
This tragic love story is presented to us mostly as flashbacks, and gives clues to the source of the main character's apathy. The main content of the film is dedicated to what is supposed to be a short two-day drug run involving Gio and Gogliko. However, the two get stranded and end up in one of the Caucasus's numerous hot spots - Karabakh. They are first captured by an Azeri patrol, but following an escape attempt by the Armenian POW's, Gio ends up with the Armenians, while Gogliko stays behind with the Azeris. From that point on the stage is set and the movie focuses more on Gio's character. As he befriends the Armenians, he finds himself more their captive than their guest, and eventually what seemed to be a pleasant stay turns into one full of tension and Gio is forced to find a way to get back to his friend Gogliko and return home. Especially telling is the progression of how one Armenian soldier first shows a lot of respect for the Georgian but later the ethnic prejudices take their toll and the two eventually get into a fistfight. As Gio escapes he finds Gogliko having a good time with the Azeris. The two head home and that's when Gio finds out what his father did to his girlfriend in his absence. Gio falls into depression. At this point we realize that perhaps the desire to get home and to save his friend was really about getting back to the woman he loved.
There is a lot more to this movie. Most characters are well developed and even their subtle actions tell us a lot about them. Misha Meskhi is excellent as Gogliko, though he might not be appreciated as much by those who don't understand Georgian, since a lot of humor gets lost in translation. Levan Doborjginidze is good as brooding Gio, but in the end I don't feel much sympathy for his character.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is familiar with the region, and to everyone with an open mind.
