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★★★
Directed by: Mal Williamson
Written by: Gordon Meredith, Orhan Ticic, Mariana Barbera, Anna Whiting, Mal Williamson
Starring: Gordon Meredith, Orhan Ticic, Mariana Barbera, Anna Whiting
Two couples accidentally book a stay at the same cottage, during the same time and end up developing rapports with each other.
Will (Meredith) arrives at a cottage. Later during the evening, a couple also come to the property and it appears that there has been some error and as a result the place has been booked for four people. Will invites the couple, who are Zlatan (Ticic) and Katya (Whiting), to stay for the night and sort things out in the morning. Things get more complicated when Will uses his therapy skills to assist Zlatan and Katya and Will's partner Elena (Barbera) arrives.
This drama was filmed during the course of a weekend by a crew that consisted of one person and the dialogue was improvised by the cast.
The basic concept is that two couples get to know each other and the film focuses on exploring their lives. The characters spent a great deal of time discussing their occupations, experiences and feelings. There is confrontation as Zlatan is unhappy with Will performing therapy on Katya, in order to help her relieve her stress, and seems to have changed her personality. There are lengthy scenes, where the protagonists play board games and have meals, while having conversations.
Will is the one who guides the story and gets the most screen time. He recommends that the couple remain at the property and utilizes his therapeutic skills to help them and influences them with his perception of life. He is very talkative and intelligent and enjoys socializing and painting. Ticic is convincing as an ex-military man, who has also seen combat.
There isn't much music in this feature and when it is present, it consists of violins playing intensely.
This is a well made film, but unlikely to appeal to a mass audience. The pace is rather slow and some scenes seem to go on for too long. Overall, the narrative is not very exciting and the ending is rather confusing. Considering that the dialogue was improvised, the actors do an interesting job and create scenes of drama.
This movie deserves praise for its acting and the fact that it was made without much preparation and the result is an accomplishment worth pursuing.
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