Modra (Canada - 2010)

When it's over, this was surprisingly good. Lina (Hallie Switzer) and Leco (Alexander Gammal) are two teenagers who travel to the small town of Modra, Slovakia, to visit Lina's extended family. On their week long journey, they discover feelings for each other and learn a few things about themselves. This film was very much a coming-of-age slash docu-drama that begins in Toronto, Canada and ends in Europe. It explored the emotional obstacles adolescents face as they encroach on adulthood. There was angst, resentment, and lots of hurt that was expressed with great honesty by Lina and Leco. I was surprised by the casting of Switzer and Gammal, because they deviate from the typical Hollywood teen stereotype. Then, I realized I was not watching a Hollywood film, but an indie flick produced, directed, and written by award-winning filmmaker, Ingrid Veninger. Gone was the skinny girl in designer name clothes; and gone was the buffed-up jock who drives a muscle car. Instead, the film offered actors who looked like real people, which immediately made me identify with them. Another aspect I liked about the film was the setting. I felt transported to the small town of Modra, without having left my seat. The film captured the people and customs with genuine humbleness without exploiting them. The cinematography was picturesque, but still captured the story's intimacy about a family and two classmates who find each other and themselves. 

My rating: 3.5 out of 5