Vodka Lemon (DVD)
APPROX. 88 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 2003 - MPA RATING: NR
" (Saleem) makes poetry out of desolation, and creates some striking absurdist moments.
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In terms of narrative, "Vodka Lemon" is fairly conventional, but the real strength of the film is Saleem´s visual design. He makes poetry out of desolation and creates some striking absurdist moments. In addition to the lovely opening shot, there is also a memorable sequence involving a piano which is being played as it skids into the distance along the icy road. Saleem has a keen eye for detail, and his ability to underscore the surreal elements in mundane life reminds me very much of Emir Kusturica and Aki Kaurismäki.
Life is pretty miserable in this town, and it´s not like it gets any better by the end of the movie. Still, the story isn´t a tragic one. The characters all have a sense of humor about their plight, and even recognize how foolish their nostalgia is. At one point, a few of the men think back fondly to their time under Russian rule when they didn´t have freedom, but at least they had everything else.
In the liner notes included with the DVD, Saleem references something his grandfather used to say about the Kurdish plight: "Our past is sad, our present is catastrophic, but fortunately we have no future." That pretty much sums up the tone of "Vodka Lemon" as well: wry, bittersweet, but never bleak.
Video
The film is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The image quality is clear and never looks blown out, no small feat considering how much snow fills nearly every frame.
Audio
The film is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. Optional English subtitles support the audio which is in Armenian, Russian and Kurdish.
Extras
Only a trailer and brief liner notes which include an interview with Saleem.
Closing Thoughts
"Vodka Lemon" doesn´t so much craft a happy ending as a less-unhappy ending, but it´s still uplifting in a way. It might seem a bit familiar to art-house faithful, but that doesn´t detract from its charm. "Vodka Lemon," Hiner Saleem´s fourth feature film and the only one I have seen, won the San Marco prize at the 2003 Venice Film Festival. His fifth, "Kilometre Zero" (2005), became the first Iraqi film to play at the Cannes Film Festival. If "Vodka Lemon" is a fair indication of his talent, I look forward to seeing the rest of his work.
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