Film ReviewsAnita B: Have Hope and Carry On
Apr 24, 2015 Anchorage Press
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Director Roberto Faenza's film, Anita B, is based on the autobiographical novel "Quanta stella c'è nel cielo" (How Many Stars Twinkle in the Sky) by Edith Bruck. Anita, played by Eline Powell, is the title character, a 15-year-old Hungarian Jew and Auschwitz survivor.
Anita B takes place just after the end of World War II, after the concentration camps are liberated and governments and groups of displaced people are sorting out the atrocities of the war and where they belong. After Auschwitz, Anita goes to Czechoslovakia to live with her aunt Monica (Andrea Osvárt), uncle Aron (Antonio Cupo), and her brother-in-law, Eli (Robert Sheehan). The tension that develops between Monica and Anita is largely due to Monica's survivor guilt; the hopeful Anita is a constant reminder of things Monica would rather forget. The story's content is robust and raises questions about the impact of war and the consequences of taking sides. Anita's first challenge as a free person is proving she exists, a struggle that refugees and immigrants today continue to face; as Eli and those around her tell her, without documents Anita is nobody and in danger of being jailed. As Anita B shows, being free is not easy, and certainly not the same as being welcomed.
The story in Anita B is rich but predictable, and for all the great themes layered throughout, Anita B is surprisingly monotonous. The film is written, not by one person, or two, but by five- the author, director, and three others. Five writers equate to too many cooks in the kitchen, resulting in a great story that is poorly told. Viewers may get a feeling of déjà vu, not because the movie is a remake, but because the plot and themes are familiar and the director tells the story in such an ordinary way that there's nothing new or innovative in his style of storytelling. The dialogue is flat and while important things are said that reflect the complexities of identity, religion, gender, and politics, they are platitudes that seemed derivative of greater works. Even the musical score by Paolo Buonvino, which is lovely, can't help but be an imitation of Philip Glass soundtracks. The casting is mediocre and the young Eline Powell can be seen as a carbon copy of a young Natalie Portman. The character of Anita, as written and directed by Faenza, is supposed to be deep, introspective and hopeful, and she is; but, she's hardly as passionate or angry as one would think someone in her circumstances would be. A veil of tempered restraint plagues this movie, impacts every part of it and prevents the film from soaring. Even when Anita, who is based on Edith Bruck herself, talks about wanting to be a writer at any cost, her delivery is so blasé that viewers will have a hard time believing it. By contrast, there is a scene in the movie The Lover where the young girl, based on Marguerite Duras, talks about wanting to write, also at any cost, that screams determination and defiance, unlike Anita's lukewarm declaration. Anita B is a great story, and it deserves to be a great movie, but unfortunately, this isn't it.
Anita B shows at Bear Tooth on Monday, April 27 at 9 p.m. (1230 W. 27th Ave.)
Anita B takes place just after the end of World War II, after the concentration camps are liberated and governments and groups of displaced people are sorting out the atrocities of the war and where they belong. After Auschwitz, Anita goes to Czechoslovakia to live with her aunt Monica (Andrea Osvárt), uncle Aron (Antonio Cupo), and her brother-in-law, Eli (Robert Sheehan). The tension that develops between Monica and Anita is largely due to Monica's survivor guilt; the hopeful Anita is a constant reminder of things Monica would rather forget. The story's content is robust and raises questions about the impact of war and the consequences of taking sides. Anita's first challenge as a free person is proving she exists, a struggle that refugees and immigrants today continue to face; as Eli and those around her tell her, without documents Anita is nobody and in danger of being jailed. As Anita B shows, being free is not easy, and certainly not the same as being welcomed.
The story in Anita B is rich but predictable, and for all the great themes layered throughout, Anita B is surprisingly monotonous. The film is written, not by one person, or two, but by five- the author, director, and three others. Five writers equate to too many cooks in the kitchen, resulting in a great story that is poorly told. Viewers may get a feeling of déjà vu, not because the movie is a remake, but because the plot and themes are familiar and the director tells the story in such an ordinary way that there's nothing new or innovative in his style of storytelling. The dialogue is flat and while important things are said that reflect the complexities of identity, religion, gender, and politics, they are platitudes that seemed derivative of greater works. Even the musical score by Paolo Buonvino, which is lovely, can't help but be an imitation of Philip Glass soundtracks. The casting is mediocre and the young Eline Powell can be seen as a carbon copy of a young Natalie Portman. The character of Anita, as written and directed by Faenza, is supposed to be deep, introspective and hopeful, and she is; but, she's hardly as passionate or angry as one would think someone in her circumstances would be. A veil of tempered restraint plagues this movie, impacts every part of it and prevents the film from soaring. Even when Anita, who is based on Edith Bruck herself, talks about wanting to be a writer at any cost, her delivery is so blasé that viewers will have a hard time believing it. By contrast, there is a scene in the movie The Lover where the young girl, based on Marguerite Duras, talks about wanting to write, also at any cost, that screams determination and defiance, unlike Anita's lukewarm declaration. Anita B is a great story, and it deserves to be a great movie, but unfortunately, this isn't it.
Anita B shows at Bear Tooth on Monday, April 27 at 9 p.m. (1230 W. 27th Ave.)