I'm not the type of person to attracted to the whole, "I have to get away to discover myself" movies. With Netflix being very hit and miss, coupled with the clichéd synopsis, the one component which compelled me to give this well-worn genre a watch was the stunning location of a Mediterranean island off the coast of Croatia. That alone was enough for me to hit play-and may I say, what a thoroughly enjoyable movie!
What surprised me first was a self-conscious, middle-aged wife climbing out of bed of a morning to quickly stuff her body into her shapewear like sausage meat before her husband woke up. This rings very true in real life but is never shown on screen. The way the scene was shot and performed had me in stitches! This was in the first ten minutes. It hooked me.
Naomi Krauss plays Zeynep; a woman barely living a life with her absentee husband, her unbearable teenage daughter, and her elderly parents. At breaking point after the death of her mother, she tears herself from her city grind to spend time in a primitive but charming cottage, high on the coastal ridge of a glorious Mediterranean Island. Completely unaware she will have to share the cottage with a gruff but internally complicated man, Josip, played by Goran Bogdan.
Zeynep and Josip have their fare share of altercations and petty feuds, which had me laughing in excess. The witty lines and the deft delivery by the two leads was nothing short of superb. The often blunt and sometimes boorish Josip is discovered to be a very generous, caring, and considerate individual. Zeynep not only discovers an appreciation for Josip and his primitive ways, she also discovers the simplest of lifestyles being the most fulfilling.
This movie is what the heart of cinema is all about. There are no starlets, no big names, no ripped actors, and no pretentiousness. Audiences are starved of small, personal, quality entertainment. Excellent screenplay by Jane Ainscough Alex Kendall. Elegantly directed by Vanessa Jopp, and outstanding, very honest performances by Naomi Krauss and Goran Bogdan. Their screen chemistry makes me want to see them together in more movies.
Whether you're alone, on a date night, or with your significant other, I definitely recommend this movie. I went from being highly skeptical to totally entertained. What a gem!
What surprised me first was a self-conscious, middle-aged wife climbing out of bed of a morning to quickly stuff her body into her shapewear like sausage meat before her husband woke up. This rings very true in real life but is never shown on screen. The way the scene was shot and performed had me in stitches! This was in the first ten minutes. It hooked me.
Naomi Krauss plays Zeynep; a woman barely living a life with her absentee husband, her unbearable teenage daughter, and her elderly parents. At breaking point after the death of her mother, she tears herself from her city grind to spend time in a primitive but charming cottage, high on the coastal ridge of a glorious Mediterranean Island. Completely unaware she will have to share the cottage with a gruff but internally complicated man, Josip, played by Goran Bogdan.
Zeynep and Josip have their fare share of altercations and petty feuds, which had me laughing in excess. The witty lines and the deft delivery by the two leads was nothing short of superb. The often blunt and sometimes boorish Josip is discovered to be a very generous, caring, and considerate individual. Zeynep not only discovers an appreciation for Josip and his primitive ways, she also discovers the simplest of lifestyles being the most fulfilling.
This movie is what the heart of cinema is all about. There are no starlets, no big names, no ripped actors, and no pretentiousness. Audiences are starved of small, personal, quality entertainment. Excellent screenplay by Jane Ainscough Alex Kendall. Elegantly directed by Vanessa Jopp, and outstanding, very honest performances by Naomi Krauss and Goran Bogdan. Their screen chemistry makes me want to see them together in more movies.
Whether you're alone, on a date night, or with your significant other, I definitely recommend this movie. I went from being highly skeptical to totally entertained. What a gem!