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Reviews for June 27th, 2012






Gypsy

Directed by Martin Sulík




      14-year-old Adam (Janko Mizigar) lives with his mother (Miroslava Jarabekov) and brother, Marian (Martin Hangurbadzo), in a small Slovakian village among other Gypsies. They're poor, ostracized and often discriminated against by non-Gypsies. His stepfather, Zigo (Miroslav Gulyas), might have killed his biological father (Iva Mirga) who was struck by a car. Julka (Martinka Kotlarova), Adam's girlfriend, will soon be married off to a wealthy older man. Meanwhile, a white documentary film crew stops by in town to record Gypsy music, and he befriends some of the crew despite that Zigo insists that he stay away from them. The local priest (Attila Mokos) coaches the kids in boxing, and even lets Adam secretly sleep at the school while hiding out from his abusive stepfather---in exchange for mopping the gym floor. Zigo actually encourages Adam and his brother to lead a life of crime by being thieves, but Adam yearns to move to Western Europe to escape from that dangerous lifestyle.

      Loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, Gyspy features a cast of non-professional actors each of whom are Gyspies in real life, so it's no surprise that they all give raw, believable performances. Gypsies are often portrayed in movies in one-dimensional ways. Writer/director Martin Sulík together with co-writer Marek Lescak both portray the Gypsies here as complex human beings albeit very flawed ones. You'll be able to palpably feel Adam's pain and suffering as Gypsy. Admittedly, though, more suspense could have been fleshed out of Zigo being the potential being the murderer of Adam's father, but Gyspy keeps that as a mere subplot and focuses on Adam's predicaments while remaining character-driven. There are ephemeral instances of comic relief peppered here and there which result in a chuckle or two; for the most part, though, Gyspy feels somber, melancholic and, ultimately, emotionally devastating without veering into melodrama or allowing for any moments of contrivance.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Opens at the Film Forum.


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