A Perfect Day (2015)

A group of aid workers work to resolve a crisis in an armed conflict zone.

Director:

Fernando León de Aranoa

Writers:

Fernando León de Aranoa, Diego Farias (collaborating writer)

Stars:

Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, Olga Kurylenko

2 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benicio Del Toro	...	Mambrú
Tim Robbins	...	B
Olga Kurylenko	...	Katya
Mélanie Thierry	...	Sophie
Fedja Stukan	...	Damir
Eldar Residovic	...	Nikola
Sergi López	...	Goyo
Nenad Vukelic	...	Nikola's Grandfather
Morten Suurballe	...	UN Official at the Briefing
Ben Temple	...	UN Official's Assistant
Frank Feys	...	UN Official at the Well
Ivan Brkic	...	Store Owner
Antonio Franic	...	Soldier at the Storage
Goran Navojec	...	Bosnian NGO Driver
Dragica Stojkovic	...	Cow Lady

Storyline

A group of aid workers work to resolve a crisis in an armed conflict zone.

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Plot Keywords:

rope | ball | body in well | translator | aid worker | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including some sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Germany]

Country:

Spain

Language:

English Serbian Spanish French Bosnian

Release Date:

15 January 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

El pozo

Filming Locations:

Alquife, Granada, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,697,431, 16 January 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+ España,Mediapro,Orange

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It is based on the novel "Dejarse Llover" by Paula Farias.

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Goofs

Near the start when B and Sophie are driving along the cliff, the aerial shot shows the cliff to be on the left of the road. Then a shot from inside the car shows trees in the background where the cliff was. The when they stop in front of the dead cow, the cliff is on the right side.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mambrú: Fat fuck.

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Soundtracks

HALALI MI MAJKO
Written by Habib Shakoori
Performed by Hako Obic
© & (p) 1994,
Under license by Hasib Hako Obic

User Reviews

Gritty but authentic examination of aid work in a war zone

I just saw a Spanish film that probably enjoyed a limited release in the U.S., although the dialogue is mostly in English – A Perfect Day. In the film, a team of aid workers faces a problem, a corpse is contaminating a well that provides the only potable water in the region, since two other wells are surrounded by mines and cannot be used. The film follows the group as they try to obtain a rope to lift the body out of the well, and examines the difficulties of executing such a small task in a war zone, in this case, the waning days of the Bosnian conflict.

The film resonated with me on several levels. First, of course, I live in the Balkans now, so the language and setting was familiar. (Now I know "konopac" means rope and "bunar" means well!) The landscape in some of the scenes was amazing, and makes me curious to see more of Bosnia now. Second, the cast itself is multinational, reflecting the multinational character of international assistance efforts. This is familiar to me too, since I work in a multinational OSCE Mission. The civilian-military interaction was all too familiar, as were the many scenes with Stryker armored personnel carriers, a common sight during my time in Iraq.

I thought the film provided a very good feel for the frustrations of development work in a war setting. In addition, the dialogue and acting were great. The impressive cast features American Tim Robbins, Spaniard Benicio del Toro, Ukrainian Olga Kurylenko (who was a Bond girl in A Quantum of Solace), Frenchwoman Melanie Thierry, and Bosnian Fedja Stukan. At one point, one of the characters, seeing Olga Kurylenko for the first time, mutters under his breath, "And so where is she from – Models without Borders?" The sub-plot involving the young Bosnian boy, Nikola, who attaches himself to the team, is also great.

This is a powerful film that is authentic in its treatment. I recommend it.