Bloodily dull

Rating: 2/10 (22 June 2013)

NOTE: Viewed the English language version, where actors stumbled to sell their lines with conviction, visibly struggling to preserve their acting chops in the unfamiliar English-language environment.
Set in the brutal Bosnian civil war, directorial débutant Angeline Jolie, delivers a devastating account of the atrocities that occurred during the war, mainly pointing fingers at the Serbian side, while ostensibly siding with the women, the oft forgotten, but most harshly brutalised victims of war. Subject to imprisonment, where they are treated as slave labour, play toys and subject to everyday rape (together with the subsequent pregnancies), knives of fury open up during viewing. Somehow however within this onslaught of injustice Jolie attempts to introduce a romantic backdrop to the story...
Bosniak painter Ajla (Zana Marjanovic) is captured and sent into a strict prisoner camp, where she encounters her former love, Yugoslav People's Army commander Danijel (Goran Kostic). Still enticed by Ajla, Danijel manages to save her from rape victimisation and announces her to be his private woman. Rigid and at times ostensibly cold Danijel does not however force himself on Ajla, instead attempting to rekindle the lost affections of the past despite the murderous genocidal occurrences in abundance. Within this brutal war convictions and feelings must struggle to survive...
In what has been aptly described as war porn, Jolie best succeeds in presenting war atrocity with some impressive and well-designed sets to compliment the story and the despicable ongoings where civilians are worst affected by the insanity. Rape, denigration, brutalisation are everyday life for encaptured women, while not even a screaming baby is safe from the illogical brutality of civil war. For some death is the better alternative...
Nonetheless, Angelina Jolie struggles to find any rhythm in the movie, instead acting out as a disjointed mess lacking dramatic punch. Attempting a more artistic feel, inspired by movies such as "Behind Enemy Lines", first time helmer fails to instill any life into the drab, murky proceedings, leaving a lifeless exterior, which struggling to bring about any emotions apart from the apparent shock factors. Scenes with Ajla and Danijel are always awkward, somewhat detached, making the whole affair a cumbersome attempt at romance, but without conviction. It could be argued that this is purposeful, as given the war implication anything other than this disjointed, half-hearted romance is impossible. However this encapsulating dreariness within an over-reaching two hour run-time makes for an excruciating watch into hopelessness and despair, as viewer attention aimlessly wanders in between atrocities (during which in turn eyes tend to not want to be open to see).