1985 coming-of-age story
Rating: 15/20
Plot: Father goes away on business.
This first feature from Emir Kusturica doesn't take the chances of the three other films of his that I've seen. It's an often too-typical movie about a kid growing up in a nation torn apart politically, a story that is a little too traditionally told. I do like how it's more concerned with being a slice of life than telling a linear story. There is sibling conflict, the father's "business" being a work prison because he criticized a political cartoon, young love, adultery, and somnambulism, and a lot of the side plots aren't wrapped up. They're tidbits in this kid's life that you know helped shape him into becoming the teenager and later man that he will end up being, but Kusturica doesn't leave you with satisfying conclusions to all these mini-stories or explain the relevance of any of it. And both the lack of conclusions and explanations are benefits.
Most of this is pretty dry, but there are a few great scenes. A first sleep-walking scene, a half of a framing device if you pair it with the film's final sleep-walking scene, is dreamy. There's a scene with a mischievous arsonist that I liked. Mini-climaxes featuring an ambulance, the kid's discovery of who his father really is, a busted bottle, and an attempted suicide are other great moments.
You must have a high tolerance for the accordion. There's a lot of accordion.
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