Murina

I appreciate that its coming of age narrative is more fraught than anything else.

Slow paced with minimal dialog and plot that enhances the scenery and sounds of this little coastal dystopia.

Murina is a Croatian take on the oft-told coming-of-age drama that is too familiar. It is a bit of a love quadrant, perhaps a love rhombus. Other than a lot of eye candy via the cinematography, there isn't a lot of story or characters that are developed. Why do I care about these characters? In the end, there is not nearly enough depth to give this a recommendation. Final Score: 5/10

A simple story but wonderfully an powerfully told through the performances of the leads.

Overall, this is an outstanding drama film.  It's filled with real and highly believable performances that are both heartbreaking and dramatic, and the outcomes of each character in this story are highly unpredictable and satisfying.  Visually, this film can't be faulted, and it captures tense moments, stunning landscapes and sceneries wonderfully.  It's a film that didn't take me long to get invested in, and the outcomes are rewarding and impressive.  As a directional debut from Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, I'm proud to highly praise this film as it leaves a powerful impact on those who experience it.

Tons of potential. Well filmed. Well scored. Well acted. But the story just never leaves you satisfied. It ends just as it began. And ultimately, you have learned nothing from the experience.

Adolescence is a time for finding oneself, especially when it comes to our sense of personal power. That's rarely easy, but it can be especially difficult for a teenage girl trapped in a household with a chauvinistic father, a condition not uncommon in many traditional Eastern European households. Such is the fate of a quiet but independently minded Croatian adolescent who longs for freedom from under the thumb of her domineering dad and capitulating mother. But the potential for profound change arises when a wealthy old friend of her father pays a visit to their coastal fishing village, one that could transform her life and that of her mother, provided they have the courage to act on it. Director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović's debut feature from Executive Producer Martin Scorsese presents an intense, intimate character study of an individual's search for empowerment in the face of oppressing odds and confusing circumstances that, like the clandestine behavior of the moray eels she and her father routinely hunt, deceptively conceal much of what's actually going on. This winner of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival Golden Camera Award for best first feature simmers slowly but builds tension well, engaging viewers handily, despite some repetitive narrative elements and occasional "atmospheric" camera work whose deliberate murkiness goes a little overboard in metaphorically depicting the intended character of the story. A number of films with themes similar to those explored here have emerged from this region in recent years, such as "Hive" (2021) and "God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya" (2019). That's an indication that there's a need for the expression of these notions, and, thankfully, filmmakers have successfully risen to the occasion, making the world more aware about conditions for women desperately in need of reform.

Gripping and raw, this is a story of a family dynamic that is claustrophobic, beautiful and complex. A think piece that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend.