A quirky family in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in Chicago awaits and survives the arrival of the Great Aunt from the old country. The grandfather, mother, two sisters, and brother all live under the same roof, while a chorus of women keep an eye on what's going on. Magical realism plays a role as the flowers move and members of the family talk to them. It's an odd film which almost feels more like a play at times, both in the staging and in the acting, which gave it a bit of the feel of a student film. A very good student film, don't get me wrong. The story is engaging, as are most of the actors. The camera work isn't all that sophisticated, and it's the combination of this plus the music that give it away as an independent film. It lacks the high gloss quality of a big studio production. Again, that's not a criticism, just an observation. I liked the music. It was thematic. Every time we were in the church we heard church music. There was a lot of cello and clarinet. Sometimes the cello was a bit too obvious. Sometimes the music was WAY too obvious in foreshadowing what would happen next. But the film engaged me for the 1h40 or so that it runs, and it made me think a bit afterwards, and I appreciate that.
