By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Ena Sendijarevic
Starring: Emir Hadzihafizbegovic | Ernad Prnjavorac | Jasna Djuricic | Lazar Dragojevic | Mirsad Tuka | Sanja Buric | Sara Luna Zoric
Country: bosnia-herzegovina, netherlands
Year: 2021
Running time: 91
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8567342/reference
Michael says: “It sounded so interesting. A young woman leaves her mother’s home in the Netherlands where she was raised, to return to her native Bosnia and seek out a father that she barely remembered. Despite a solid performance by Sara Luna Zoric, as the disaffected, blank-faced Alma, TAKE ME SOMEWHERE NICE… doesn’t. It doesn’t even take me anywhere very interesting, although it tries. From the moment Alma meets her rude, unhelpful cousin who picks her up at the airport, we know she’s in for a rough trip. His friend Denis is slightly more helpful… at least he talks to her, and there is a reluctant attraction between the two of them, but Alma is rather put out after they have sex, and then she finds out he has a girlfriend. It eventually leads to a road trip filled with the requisite bad luck for Alma, as she quickly loses her suitcase, which contains all her money as well. Things never seem to go well for Alma, or her cousin, or Denis, when they finally catch up with her. And while they encounter a variety of unusual characters and circumstances, it’s all rather unpleasant and barely even a black comedy.
“The film is shot well, with some interesting visuals from director Ena Sendijarevic (who also wrote the script) and cinematographer Emo Weemhoff. It’s Sendijarevic’s first full-length, feature directorial effort, and for a first effort, it does show promise. The script was tight and interesting, I just couldn’t get interested in the characters at all, and I didn’t care enough about them to sympathize when they made bad choices. I will keep my eye out for a follow-up film, but my expectations will be greatly measured. 2 cats“