Alex and Nica are traveling together in a country where he knows the language, but she doesn’t. The are in love and clearly have been with each other for enough time to know each other well. They decide to hike through the mountains and as the film slowly unfolds, their bond is tested in one brief moment amidst the beautiful Georgian landscape.
Writer/director Julia Loktev (Moment of Impact) uses long periods of no dialogue to pull you into the gorgeous visuals, only to quickly move to the next scene and interrupt the calmness. It’s very striking and very outputting at first, but is a very effective tool to mimic the situation of the characters.
The small main cast of three includes Alex, (Gael Garcia Bernal, The Motorcycle Diaries), Nica, (Hani Furstenberg, Campfire) and Dato (mountaineer/first-time actor Bidzina Gujabidze). The three become close as they share stories and games while traveling together. Nica is an independent woman, yet traveling with three men, she is obviously the one that is protected and looked after. She is always in the middle as they walk and although she clearly wants to do things herself, the men are the ones who step up.
The climax happens so fast yet has such an impact that it completely changes the entire mood of the film. The interesting part about the film is who you will identify with after it takes place. Do you feel for Alex as he tries to figure out how to undo his actions, or with Nica as she struggles to figure out if she can trust him again? What I found most fascinating was that his actions were not purposeful, but rather automatic, leading to a much deeper question of trust.
Walking out of the film, I wasn’t impressed, but even hours after I realized how much I truly enjoyed it. I look forward to watching it again knowing the outcome.
Rating: Beautiful and poignant. 9/10
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