Every Day Love
08-Apr-2014
Simple story about two Belarus teenagers in love. It doesn't scream for your attention but it doesn't have to - it's got sincerity on its side. Mumblecore must have reached eastern Europe, or they've invented their own version, because that's a good starting point here. A low-key, naturalistic screengrab of an ordinary teen couple sitting in front of screens, talking about their relationship. This conceit can go wrong, say, if you're trying too hard, but there's still plenty of fruit to pick if you find the right tree. So, this guy comes to his girlfriend's house, her parents are out of town, he gives her a kiss, and they watch the Spiderman with Tobey Maguire. After the movie, he wants to check out her new drawing. Hesitant, she's worried there's too much dead space, that it's too plain. "And that's bad?" he answers in a bit of self-reference - the same could be said about the film. It's plain, sure -- slow, decidedly lo-fi images, nothing in the way of production value -- but it's authentic & doesn't overshoot. When she purposes he sleep over, he gets a little freaked out because he's never stayed the night. A refreshing timidity, and he doesn't try to hide it. An innocent & vulnerable capture, earnest as they come, especially impressive since director Nikita Lavretski (who also acts, shoots and edits) is only 20 years old. I'm intrigued to watch his development. From Minsk, Belarus; In Russian with English subtitles.