Rating: 3.5/5
Vadym, a sound engineer in Kyiv, has earned extra income through field recordings. While he was previously employed on a movie set, he has since resigned. Furthermore, Vadym requires funds for an expensive dental surgery he recently underwent.
He drops off some recordings for a Ukrainian video game studio and asks if they have other opportunities. They have an offer from a Canadian video game studio that wants local Ukrainian fauna for their Noah’s Ark video game. But they have a head office position in Canada for Vadym if he can capture the song of the near-extinct Fussy Mallad that you can only find at Lake Chendesh in Transcarpathia and who only sings once a year.
So, Vadym jumps on the train back to his hometown of Uzhhorod. He plans to have his grandfather drive him around while he’s there, but he backs out. So, Vadym will have to stay with and get rides from his taxi-driving, Victoria Beckham-obsessed mother, Halyna. Will he be able to get the sounds he needs?
The film starts with an absurdist sense of humor. A dentist explains that all maladies (except tooth decay) can be healed through positive thinking. A young woman cleaning the rotating glass doors of an office. When we see her again, she turns into an old woman. Vadym’s alarm goes off, and he can’t get it to stop, so he follows the wire around the whole house. It leads him right back to the alarm.
As it goes, it turns into a road movie, where Vadym observes the quiet suffering his mom has experienced. This part of the movie dragged for me because it hit too many of the same notes. But as the third act comes in and the story takes a couple of unexpected turns, the purpose comes into focus.
The history of Ukraine is one of crushing defeat. From the Ottoman Empire’s takeover of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1526 to the occupation of Crimea and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukrainians have known the boot of an oppressor on their neck for centuries and borders that have ruptured brotherhoods. And yet, the people find a way. Their victories are not epic Hollywood moments. They are small, almost unrecognizable at times.
Vadym feels defeated in his life, both personal and professional. The Canada offer is a victory after years of defeat. But the request is so absurd that it feels like a miracle must occur for him to find it. On his journey, he meets people who have lost loved ones and whose brothers have become their enemies. He also experiences the brutality of raw authority with no aim other than to exercise it.
More simply, the movie is also about motherhood. From Mary the Mother of Christ to Halyna, these are women who gave everything for their children and had to deal with the possibility of losing them. I can’t say too much because everything gels in the final few minutes of the movie.
I’m pretty unfamiliar with Ukrainian history, so if I’ve misrepresented something here, call me out. I’ve tried to do some reading for this review to understand why Ukraine considers this one of their best movies.
I can’t say I fully understand. I can say that the movie treats its audience with intelligence, building a subtly clever and reflective film that made my mouth drop when the credits rolled.