Film Review: Below the Line (Ispod crte, 2003)
Nostalgia can skew people’s perceptions and that might explain why, at least from today’s perspective, the first decade of 21st Century looks as something of a golden age of modern Croatia. But this impression is difficult to get if general state of Croatia is assessed by Croatian films made and set in that particular period, with many film makers showing how Croatians were still, in one way or the other, traumatised by its troubled history. One such example can be found in Below the Line, 2003 drama written and directed by Petar Krelja.
Protagonist, played by Rakan Rushaidat, is Toni Požgaj, Zagreb youth who realises that he is in love with Zrinka (played by Leona Paraminski), his beautiful 18-year old neighbour who failed on her entry exam for university. Because of that she decides to leave Croatia and together with mother Ruža (played by Dubravka Ostojić) try her luck as migrant worker in Italy. Toni contemplates joining her, but his plans are complicated by serious problems within his own family. His father Ivan (played by Filip Šovagović) is 1990s war veteran suffering from PTSD and his increasingly violent outburst escalate to the point after which he sends Toni’s mother Dragica (played by Jasna Bilušić) to hospital and himself getting arrested. Toni is forced to stay and take care of his young sister Klara (played by Buga Šimić), especially after his father has managed to escape from custody. In the meantime, Antun Požgaj (played by Relja Bašić), Toni’s grandfather and former Communist-era politician, abducts Klara.
Petar Krelja is one of Croatia’s most renowned film critics, also known for his documentaries. Below the Line is the last of his four live action features, and, like all of them, belongs to the genre of social drama. Krelja obviously attempted to portray how the ghosts of Croatian past – years of war and decades of Communist rule – still haunt the country, including the young generation represented in characters of Toni and Zrinka. This attempt ended with subpar results, mainly because of poor script and varied quality of acting among the cast. Rakan Rushaidat and Leona Paraminski, mainly due to relative lack of experience, were less convincing in their roles than veterans like Filip Šovagović or Dubravka Ostojić, while Relja Bašić, one of the most legendary actors in history of Croatian cinema, delivered unpleasant surprise with his overacting. Krelja is, on the other hand, experienced director and Below the Line is solid piece of cinema, but it isn’t that surprising that it, like most of Croatian films made in recent decades, isn’t particularly memorable.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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